Welsh Government provides £150,000 for co-operative housing

As part of its Co-operative Housing in Wales project, it has awarded £149,530 to the Wales Co-operative Centre, which helps groups of individuals collectively own and manage their homes, often supported by housing associations.

Co-operative housing is intended to allow people who cannot afford mortgages on their own a route to homeownership.

The funding is expected to help deliver 75 new co-operative units to add to the 99 homes already boosted by the project.

Carl Sargeant, communities and children secretary for the Welsh Government, said: “This funding will allow the Wales Co-operative Centre to build on the progress they have already made in supporting the development of housing co-operatives in Wales.”

The Wales Co-operative Centre launched a guide for co-operative and community-led housing at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Tai 2017 conference this week.

“The funding from the Welsh Government is critical to building on the excellent progress that has already been made with co-operative housing here in Wales,” said Derek Walker, chief executive of the Wales Co-operative Centre.

He said it would use the funding to pay for experts to work with co-operative housing projects.