Larke Adger

Set up following a scoping exercise, the group includes Drumchapel Housing Co-op, Hawthorn Housing Co-op, Lister Housing Co-op, West Granton Housing Co-op and West Whitlawburn Housing Co-op.

With so few co-ops remaining, Larke Adger, CEO of West Granton Housing Co-op, identified the need for a platform through which fellow co-ops could come together to discuss common issues, experiences and practical solutions.

Out of 173 social landlords in Scotland, only eight are housing co-ops.

For Ms Adger, while a housing co-op may look like any other housing association from the outside, it is what happens inside that makes them different. 

“All co-ops are based on the same principles and all share a set of values,” she said. “There is little understanding about how co-ops are run within the sector and as individual as they each are, they all share similar challenges.”

As members of their co-op, each tenant collectively owns the organisation, including all its stock. The governing body is made up entirely of tenant members.

Ms Adger added: “It is this collective ownership and high level of tenant participation which generates a ‘social glue’ giving tenants a voice and a real say about the community in which they live.”

This collaboration is the first of its kind in the sector, where the consolidation of specialised experience and knowledge of social housing co-operative will come together and be shared.

If any other housing co-ops are interested in joining, please email larke.adger@westgrantonhc.co.uk.