Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us. community housing mutuals Keith Edwards CIH Cymru, November 2013

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | outline community housing mutuals - what they are - where they are - why they are - who they are taking stock – the story so far future challenges

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: what they are Made in Wales stock transfer - accountability - community regeneration Rules: IPS or CLG (Cobbetts / Wales Co-op Centre) - all tenants can choose to be members - assets ‘belong’ to tenants - community regen = constitutional obligation - dynamic – local devolution - based on Co-operative Principles Board: tenants / LA reps / local ‘independents’

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: what they are Co-operative Principles 1. Open membership 2. Democratic Member Control 3. Members' Economic Participation 4. Autonomy and Independence 5. Education, Training and Information 6. Co-operation among Co-operatives 7. Concern for Community

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: where they are

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | devolution referendum 1997

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | general election 2010

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | referendum 2011: extending powers

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | % of population reporting ‘good health’

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | Location of long term illness

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | pupils failing to reach level 4 at Key Stage 2 (average for English and Maths)

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | index of multiple deprivation 2008

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | demand for debt advice services

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | South Wales coalfield

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | a Close Encounters moment?

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | revolutions start here! ‘Our part of the world is famous as a crucible of economic, social and environmental transformation … the Industrial Revolution … the Chartist Movement … the National Health Service’ GENuS consortium

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: why they are the acceptable face of transfer – especially for Labour no viable Plan B / investment logjam Government support accountability is the key realism - no idealised notions of community but - neither have communities mutated / degenerated in 30 years

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: who they are Blaenavon Pontypool Cwmbran ‘social enterprise run by staff and members ‘ public service ethos - provide support for people who need it partnership with residents and the Council maximise community benefits including local jobs & skills – in house open to all tenants, leaseholders and homeowners living in Torfaen

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: who they are Rhondda Valleys Pontypridd Aberdare ‘more than a landlord’ membership open to tenants’ families and local residents. constitutional commitment to community involvement and regeneration innovative multi-million pound procurement process

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | community housing mutuals: who they are Ebbw Vale Tredegar ‘tenants at the heart of everything we do’ Neath Port Talbot ‘no one knows communities better than the people who live there’

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | taking stock: the story so far WHQS: £3 Billion 11 of 22 councils transferred: mutuals - others ‘quack & walk’ like mutuals A more mixed social housing economy transfers out perform LAs and traditional RSLs - WHQS investment - community regeneration WHQS Plus – standard for housing & beyond rebirth for housing co-ops?

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | WHQS plus The i2i / Savills reports: if you’re going to do it, do it well: 1. local local jobs / regeneration 2. community ownership

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | the Can Do Toolkit 1 TR&T - targeted recruitment and training core requirement it’s legal it works it’s free

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | the Can Do Toolkit 2 SME Friendly procurement improve client side skills simplify procurement upskill SMEs

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | 4 years on…? 3,765 job and training opportunities across Wales Conditions of Welsh Government Grants Welsh Government double default - ‘core’ requirement - jobs and training Not just construction!

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | a rebirth of co-op housing? 500 new affordable co-operative homes Newport–£650,000 for 20 co-operative Shared Ownership houses / Seren Group Cardiff- £408k for 10 Co-operative Social Rent homes / Cadwyn HA Carmarthenshire - £851k for 27 Cooperative Shared Equity / Gwalia Group …… and many more coming through

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | future challenges Main programmes delivered local government reorganisation – the end of co-terminosity Not many green shoots – and welfare reform! Welsh Government – a distinct and developing narrative Agents of local and long term change

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | future challenges ‘localism without resources – or centralism as we used to call it’ Tim Williams

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | Wales is a different country no longer ‘England... and Wales’ we’re not Scotland confidence and capacity can new Revolutions start here?