CO
Collective
Ownership
Collective Ownership bridges the gap between private renting, home ownership and social housing to meet the broad latent demand for housing that empowers residents in the current crisis.
This new tenure is delivered through a high impact investment vehicle that combines resident control with financial resilience and scalability. Collective Ownership is not-for-profit; provides a better experience than private renting from the start; improves affordability over time; works for purchasing existing stock or build new developments; and caters for a broad range of households seeking security, stability, and belonging.
How it works >
The Collective Ownership Society raises funds to acquire properties to lease to residents organised as housing co-operatives. Member co-ops have control over their homes and a say in the Society.
The lease rent received by the Society is used to service investments, cover operational costs, and build reserves to purchase further properties. Over time a large property portfolio is used to leverage capital and acquire assets. Increasing surplus from rent is reused to grow Collective Ownership rather than for profit.
The Society is managed by a professional Board with representatives from groups of residents, experts, investors and other key partners.
Fair, stable, resident-controlled rental homes
Collective Ownership focuses on stability and resident control to combat the insecurity and disempowerment faced by private renters.
We believe stable housing is the foundation upon which people can build their lives, allowing them not only to put down roots but to plan, experiment, and grow in all areas of their lives.
We avoid the culture of dependency in the landlord-tenant relationship through a transfer rights and responsibilities so as to not interfere in what residents do in their own homes. Residents benefit from:
- Rents that are stable and independent of the private market
- Affordability increasing over time
- Rights similar to home ownership in terms of security, choice of property, and day-to-day control over their home.
- Democratic collective management with power and responsibilities over how and when maintenance is done, tenant-member recruitment, and rents between residents
Impactful investment in ethical housing
The Collective Ownership Society is a high impact and efficient investment vehicle delivering an innovative form of tenure.
We use investment to finance property purchases, acting as an enabler and guarantor for groups of residents. Our model is designed to scale and deliver high impact.
Flexible investment in tangible assets allows us to develop a property portfolio, which provides security to leverage more finance. The impact of investment goes beyond funding one-off purchases, as surplus is efficiently reused in perpetuity to grow the number of homes in Collective Ownership.
A scalable solution to the private rental crisis
Collective Ownership aims to fundamentally change the experience of renting in the UK by developing a long-term solution to housing insecurity.
Using scale to achieve both growth and greater affordability, we want to create a viable alternative to the private rented sector, that is well recognised by housing organisations and public bodies. Collective Ownership can transform the experience of renters, both directly and more broadly. To do this, we need your help.
Get in touch
We’d love to make connections and tell you more.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us:
info@collectiveownership.co.uk
Follow us for updates on Instagram @collectiveownership
