Home Farm Village Co-op and Cadwyn HA

Home Farm Village was the first Leasehold Housing Cooperative in Wales, where 41 social rented homes were completed in 2015
It was a pioneer housing co-operative for the Welsh Government, which contributed capital funding to Cardiff-based Cadwyn Housing Association
Promoted by Cadwyn as a housing co-op from the start, the design encourages community interaction with additional green spaces and lower boundary walls and fences
Cadwyn also worked in partnership with Cardiff Council and the Wales Co-operative Centre
Co-op members were recruited during the development period. Most came from the City Council’s waiting list and none had any prior knowledge of housing co-opertaives. They received over 600 hours of intensive training to help them form and manage the housing co-operative on completion of the scheme
The Co-operative has a renewable 7 year lease on all 41 rented homes

Housing associations can successfully develop a housing scheme and then lease the completed homes to a new community-led housing organisation, with management responsibility taken on by tenants recruited from a local authority waiting list
Co-operatives enable residents to have autonomy, influence decision making by mainstream housing providers and have control over how their housing scheme is managed
Co-operatives can be a good way to increase affordable housing provision as well as boosting the economy and creating local job opportunities
Lower housing management costs may mean surpluses could be used to develop more homes

Published in April 2018

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