Issue 3 – Tuesday 1 August
Coops aren’t just for selling food – Hertha Taverner-Wood explains what it’s like to live in a housing coop
I live in a housing co-operative called Corani in Leicester. I have lived in a co-operative all 18 years of my life, and I am very happy I did.
A housing co-operative is different from a normal house because it isn’t owned or managed by any one person but by the co-operative itself, which means you don’t have to pay rent to landlords, no one is making going to make a profit from it and it is easier to be equal, as everyone gets a say in what happens.
There are also may other structures that have been linked to Corani, including a car sharing scheme, a workers’ co-operative, a childcare sheme, an income sharing group, a skills-exchange and a credit union.
It was a wonderful place to grow up as I had more than just two parents and got to live with my best friend. Around seven people live in my house, and we all eat together, taking it in turns to cook, so it is just like having a big interesting family.
I think living in a housing co-op is a good idea because it is: fun, there are lots of people to talk to and play with; challenging,you get to live with some interesting characters; sustainable, you can share everything, meaning you need less, including less houses!
Housing co-ops are a brilliant way to share things in every aspect of your life, and I think everyone should live in one.