We're a registered provider owning some 300 properties across London and the South East. We're also a managing agent for 30 other community housing organisations and housing co-ops, providing services to over 2000 residents. We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent management service that meets our customers' needs and expectations whilst also offering value for money.
Who we are
We deliver services mainly to housing coops, but also some other small housing organisations, across London and the South East.
We were set up by and for co-ops, and we are a secondary housing coop registered with the Regulator for Social Housing. We are a member of the Confederation of Co-operative Housing and the London Federation of Housing Coops. We also own and manage some 300 homes of our own in Reading and London.
We offer a range of services to small housing organisations and you can find out more about what we offer by going to Agency Services
You can also keep up to date by following us on Linkedin
"Coop homes are always quite efficient, it is well managed and there are no problems,
I wouldn't want to change". Co-op Homes Tenant
We've been around for a while, since 1986, but our roots stretch back to the 1960's when a group of people came together as activists in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and folk clubs and formed The Freeman syndicate to run a range of activities in the arts, politics, helping each other out and just having some fun.
Because many members were struggling with housing , they formed the Middlesex Housing Association (MHA) in 1969 and with help from Hounslow Council initially, they took over and renovated empty properties mostly using volunteers to do the work.
In 1974 the housing act made it possible to obtain subsidy and MHA started to form separate housing coops. Between 1974 and 1986, it set up eight separate housing co-ops in West London who were able to get grant and provide permanent housing. Many of the first residents housed in these co-ops came from MHA's short-life accommodation and in partnership with the Society of Co-operative Dwellings who obtained grant and oversaw development, MHA provided administration and housing management services. It formed Middlesex Housing Coop in 1980.
By 1981 MHA had more than 100 properties leased from Councils alongside the coops who owned their properties. In 1986 the Society of Co-operative Dwellings was closed down and with the help of the Housing Corporation, MHA transferred it's leased properties as well as its management services to the newly created Co-op Homes South (CHS) after which CHS became the second largest user of public funds for improving temporary housing. After 1988 it became more difficult to obtain Government funding and MHA closed down transferring its properties and members to MHC.
In 2005, CHS joined the Richmond Housing Partnership group and has benefited from shared services and experience ever since.
Since then CHS has continued to be a strong presence in the co-op sector, working with a co-op ethos to deliver a wide range of services to some 30 different co-ops in an increasingly challenging environment. We love what we do, because of our heritage and because we still believe that co-operative housing has so much to offer and is probably more relevant now than ever given the challenges still faced by people trying to find a home.
