The Wales Co-operative Centre welcomes ministerial announcement on co-operative housing pioneer schemes

The Wales Co-operative Centre welcomes the announcement today by the Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Carl Sargeant AM, that three co-operative housing schemes in Wales will receive £1.9m to support their capital funding.

The Wales Co-operative Centre supports the development of co-operative housing as an option for people who wish to actively participate in a co-operative community. Recent research published by the Wales Co-operative Centre identified the ‘community’ aspect of co-operative housing as an attractive benefit of this approach.

The Wales Co-operative Centre is actively supporting the pioneering schemes at Ely Farm in Cardiff, Loftus Gardens in Newport and Gwynfryn, Ammanford in Carmarthenshire.

Dave Palmer, Co-operative Housing Project Manager at the Wales Co-operative Centre said:

“The Wales Co-operative Centre welcomes this timely announcement from the Minister, which comes at an important stage in the development of co-operative housing in Wales.

The pioneer projects that we are working with, are ready to begin work on delivering a number of ‘energy efficient’ co-operative homes. The capital funding announced today will assist in the building of these homes and in demonstrating that co-operative housing can offer a viable alternative housing option in Wales.

The Wales Co-operative Centre is keen to continue supporting and encouraging this positive start, by empowering these pioneers to deliver much needed homes in sustainable local communities”.

Co-operative housing can provide an innovative, affordable and alternative model for home ownership in Wales.

The Wales Co-operative Centre offers business support and advice to new and existing organisations looking to develop housing co-operative schemes in Wales. The Centre’s goal is to develop and stimulate demand for the co-operative housing approach in Wales.

The Centre provides support in the following key areas: providing access to expertise and advice about co-operative housing; provide skills development and training opportunities for members of co-operative housing schemes; producing research that can inform the development of co-operative housing schemes; supplying networking opportunities and share good practice; and developing guidance for future co-operative housing schemes.

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For further information contact David Madge, Marketing, Press and Public Affairs Officer 01792 484005 david.madge@walescooperative.org