About ASH Co-op

What is a housing co-operative ?

People are stronger when they are together - International Co-operative Alliance

A housing co-operative is a special kind of housing association. Tenants of housing co-operatives work in co-operation with each other towards the management of their housing by collectivising the work neccessary for it to be a successful business.

Housing co-operatives are not-for-profit organisations and the income generated by the rents is poured back into the business. After the business overheads have been budgeted and met, surplus income is used for a variety purposes such as community development and other fun stuff.

Tenants of housing co-operatives are also members that own a share in the co-operative. Co-op members decide amongst themselves how co-op finances are budgeted.

Not being motivated by profit also means that housing co-operatives can keep rents lower than other forms of rented accomodation, although the trade-off is that co-op members accept responsibility for this subsidy with the voluntary work they carry out to make their co-operative business function.

Around 86 members comprise ASH Co-op, which is situated in Cambridge UK in the Mill Road area of Romsey, a district not far from the Cambridge city centre.

We embody all that it means to be a housing co-operative and we aspire to a truly non-heirarchical management structure which empowers its members and promotes their personal development in line with the internationally recognised seven principles of the co-operative movement.

The share price at ASH Co-op is £1 and payable upon becoming a member.

Member involvement is at the heart of ASH Co-op

Apart from the fact that discrimination is both legally and ethically wrong and freedom from being discriminated against a fundamental human right, members of ASH Co-op need to feel confident that they will be able to contribute to the running of the organisation without fear of harm or predjudice based on their race, ethnicity and, gender identification and sexual orientation, disabilities or mental and other health issues as well as culture and belief (unless you are a nazi).

You might like to read our equality and diversity policy which gives a deeper understanding of our values.

Housing co-operatives have a responsibility to be environmentally responsible and to reduce their impact on the environment. By implementing sustainable practices, we help to mitigate climate change and protect natural resources for future generations.

We also have a social responsibility to ourselves and the wider community to which we belong. Sustainable practices help to create healthy and safe living environments, promote community cohesion, and enhance the well-being of members.

Sustainable practices also us to achieve financial stability by reducing operating costs over the long term with initiativs such. For example, investing in energy-efficient appliances and building materials can lower energy bills and maintenance costs, which can ultimately benefit the co-operative and its members.

You might like to read our sustainability policy.

We recognise that conflict is inevitable whenever groups of people organise with a purpose - you're not always going to get on with your housemate or neighbour !

In order to prevent personal disagreements and petty conflicts from escalating and becoming potentially divisive to the community as well ad disruptive to the process of running the organisation, members are encouraged to seek support as soon as they identify a dispute or conflict that is beyond their means to sort out. They do this by contacting the support and wellbeing service, a group of specially trained volunteer mediators to enable and support conflicting members to transform their conflicts

Achieving some kind of mutually accepted resolution is essential to enable members to continue to co-operate effectively in the running of the organisation without lingering bad feeling and resentment.

You might like to read our disputes and conflicts policy

We may be a co-operative organisation with aspirations to the most progressive values, but we are still a professionel housing provider with responsibilities to ourselves as tenants under the law. The UK Housing Ombudsman has very specific requirements for housing providers to adhere to when it comes to complaints about the service they provide and we comply with these regulations .

We audit our complaints policy yearly through a self assessment provided by the Housing Ombudsman. You might like to read our most recent self-assessment

You may also like to read our official policy on how tenants can make a complaint