What is a Community Housing Co-operative?

There are currently 69 Co-operatives registered with the Office for Community Housing (formerly South Australian Community Housing Authority or SACHA) with more than 1,200 properties registered throughout SA.

A Housing Co-operative is:

• a group of people who work together to obtain, maintain and manage housing for their members
• a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation that combines some benefits of home ownership with the accountability of public housing
• a legally incorporated body which acts in accordance with the South Australian Co-operative and Community Housing Act and the Associations Incorporations Act
• an organisation that receives their housing stock through the Office for Community Housing. This includes the ability for some Co-operatives to purchase or build houses from funds allocated by the Office for Community Housing.
  

Frequently Asked Questions. (FAQ)

Who can live in a Housing Co-op?

Housing co-operatives are set up specifically to house people on low to moderate incomes, or to cater for groups with specific needs - e.g. the aged, youth, single parents, low income, women, gays & lesbians, artists, the environmentally aware etc.

What types of houses are they?

The simple answer is - all sorts. Housing Co-operatives manage groups of units, or single houses. Co-ops may even renovate a large building, or redevelop a housing block to provide housing.

Since 1995, this has been limited by the use of former Housing SA (formerly known as the South Australian Housing Trust or SAHT), housing stock and land, as well as State Government priorities for certain groups.

The important thing is that the type of housing will depend on the tenants' needs. You as a tenant, will have a say in the type of housing you will live in.

How are housing Co-operatives run?

Co-operatives are operated by tenants who have a common need for secure, appropriate, affordable housing and a commitment to co-operate.

Membership requires time, energy and hard work. Members will run meetings, maintain and manage their houses, write constitutions and by-laws, organise finances, undertake regulatory reporting to the Office for Community Housing and other bodies.

What will it cost me?

Most tenants pay rent of about 25% of gross income. This means while your circumstances may change, e.g. you may gain employment, lose employment, become a student, etc., your rent will generally continue to be fixed at a percentage of your income.

How is a Housing Co-op financed?

Once approved by the Office for Community Housing, housing co-operatives receive housing allocations i.e. ex-Housing SA stock, or with approved funds (from the Office for Community Housing) undertakes purchases and new builds.

What are the advantages of being in a Co-operative?

Co-operatives provide secure and affordable housing. Housing Co-operatives also provide some support for their members in a number of ways, e.g. support for the aged or disabled. The major advantage is that you become your own landlord so you can make the important decisions about how you are housed. You also learn and develop new skills.

What are the challenges?

Living in a Housing Co-operative can be a lot of work! Members need to work together to secure, maintain and manage their houses. This means you, as a member will need to participate in meetings, be involved in working bees and share in making your Co-op successful.

How do I join a Housing Co-op?

If you are interested in joining an existing co-operative, the Community Housing Council of SA (CHCSA) can provide you with an 'Information Pack'. This 'Pack' includes listings of all Community Housing Organisations for you to look at and select the most appropriate Co-op to express interest with, based on any specific area in which you are seeking accommodation. You can not contact them directly by phone. It is important to bear in mind that Co-op members live in their houses, therefore their phone numbers are private and are not normally advertised to the general public.

Once you have selected an appropriate Co-op/s, please compete a Registration of Interest Form supplied by either the CHCSA or the Office for Community Housing. It is important to provide as much information as possible about your housing needs, including any special needs you may have i.e. disabilities. Being clear and specific about your circumstances will benefit you and assist the Co-op in matching your requirements against the regulatory tenant eligibility criteria.

Not all Co-operatives are looking for new members, and may have a 'closed' membership status, which means that they are not currently accepting applications or registrations from interested parties.

All registrations are matched against their particular Co-operative objectives and against the regulatory eligibility criteria, through their Tenant Officer/Committee or by their Management Committee.

The majority of Co-ops advise interested parties that they need to register and attend an Introduction to Community Housing (ICH) Course. This is a course that is run each month by the CHCSA in various regions, and consists of 3 x 2 hour sessions over 3 consecutive weeks. The course covers everything you need to know about being a part of a Co-op and participants receive a Certificate at its completion. Attendance at the Public Information Session is also part of the Registration of Interest process.

What happens if I leave?

Housing Co-ops are not-for-profit organisations. Individuals do not own houses, rather they are owned by the co-operative. If you leave, you have no financial claim on the property you were housed in. The property will be made available to another member on the Co-op's waiting list.

How do I form a new Co-operative?

If you are thinking of starting up a co-operative and have at least 10 committed people, please contact the Office for Community Housing.

The Office for Community Housing will provide you with the details and advise you of the requirements including the statutory obligations you will need to be aware of before commencing the process of establishing a new Housing Co-operative.