Housing Co-operatives

At a time of a growing housing crisis this republication of John Hands's classic Housing Co-operatives could not be timelier.

It provides a unique mixture of theory and practice, showing from other countries and from the author's own experience in Britain how housing co-operatives can work and how they can fail.

In a new Introduction, John Hands argues that the creation of a third tenure for housing distinct from both individual owner occupation on the one hand and tenancy-whether from private or social landlord-on the other hand is urgently needed.

The par value housing co-operative provides the residents with all the benefits of ownership in terms of control and decision-making, but it is housing for use, not property for investment. Moreover, as the book shows, a well-structured co-operative promotes the development of community values based on mutual aid and shared responsibility for their homes and immediate neighbourhood.

REVIEWS

"This is a book for those who believe in the power of people to shape their own lives." -The Catholic Herald

"Shock, horror, drama. A new book is out about housing which says it's all about people and not about social engineering or investing for your old age. . . it's by John Hands who has actually succeeded in doing what he's talking about, which is to set up co-operative housing schemes that actually work." -The Guardian

John Hands' timely and exemplary guide is marvellous. . . this is a book for all concerned in with the role of and effects of housing in this society of ours." -The Architects' Journal

"A most powerful mixture of common sense and idealism, a practical man's gospel and a visionary's handbook. . . this is a book intended to influence events here and now." -Building

"The most comprehensive account we have of co-operative principles applied to housing, the experience of other countries, and the possibilities. . . John Hands' book is going to be indispensable." -Colin Ward in Municipal Engineering

"He shows how housing co-ops could offer, in the immediate future, a valuable alternative form of social ownership in housing, enabling people to collectively own and control one of their fundamental human rights-housing-on the basis of mutual aid rather than individual gain or distant bureaucracy." -Housing Review

"The strengths and pitfalls of a co-operative framework for housing are made admirably clear." -Architectural Design.