Blog

There are a small number of co-ops in the city and lots of those are still in the process of setting up. To get in touch with co-ops directly, contact details and websites can be found on the individual member pages. When we receive details of vacancies we share them on our Twitter account https://twitter.com/Chibahteam. It’s also worth joining Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (membership costs £1) who publish a monthly update of what’s going on with co-ops and community led housing in the city and beyond https://bhclt.org.uk/membership/

Out Of Town housing co-op are looking for new people! Message from them below:

We have several vacancies coming up in our co-op in fiveways, in Brighton. These rooms would suit single people as well as small family units or couples due to their differing sizes. We do however want one person per room. We are open to pets

Rent is £345/month. Total bills are £50 a month and we have a food kitty of £15 week. There is no deposit, rent is paid from when you move in.

If you want to find out more come to our drop-in evening on Friday 12th July 4-8pm or one of our coop general meetings Wednesday 3rd July, Thursday 1st August, Wednesday 4th September

Email ootnewmembers@gmail.com for more detailed info.

This year we will be joining forces with Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT) for our Christmas social.

It will take place on Wednesday 12 December, from 8.00pm after the weekly group skills workshop, at the Lord Nelson pub, 36 Trafalgar Street, Brighton, BN1 4ED. Come along and celebrate all we have achieved this year!

There’ll be a drink and a bite to eat for everyone, and not a post-it note in sight!

Please book your place here at Eventbrite so we know how much food to provide.

Accessibility

The pub has a small step in the entrance – they have told us they don’t usually have a problem with wheelchairs getting in.

The pub is close to Brighton train station, where many buses also stop.

The closest parking is Trafalgar Street Car Park.

Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT) and Bunker Housing Co-operative are running a free workshop on how to raise money through loanstock on Saturday 10 November at The Bevy pub, Brighton.

Loanstock is a great way for grassroots co-operative projects to raise money, using repayable loans from individuals or other organisations.

Bunker Housing Co-operative has raised over £75,000 through loanstock and are about to start work on their first two houses. Hear from co-founder Martyn Holmes about how they did it and his tips for people wanting to do the same.

The second part of the workshop will involve local housing groups discussing and sharing ideas on raising loanstock, including how to work together.

This free workshop will take place on Saturday 10 November, 1.15-5.00pm in the community room of The Bevy Pub, 50 Hillside, Brighton, BN2 4TF

Places are limited – book yours here at Eventbrite.

A message from Lilliput…

We are an exciting new housing co-op planning to build 10 small, genuinely affordable, eco-homes in Brighton & Hove.

Now we need 3 households to join existing members in promoting and developing the project. We have a great business plan, a viable financial spreadsheet, a registered co-op, bank account, house design and builder, a small grant and excellent support from other co-ops and the Community Land Trust.

We want to take the project to the next level; to find land and get the homes built. We are looking for people who have organisational skills, can commit significant time and are experienced in co-operative decision-making. We especially need people who have communication, fundraising, business or project management expertise. But most importantly we need your passion, drive and energy.

You will need to qualify under our criteria and have filled out the survey here: https://goo.gl/forms/B3yDudvAYScvab3J3

What we need from you:

• 1 day per week to dedicate to the project (can be shared between members of your own household)
• Attendance at fortnightly co-op meetings
• Attendance at workshops organised by the Community Land Trust (we encourage you to join the Community Land Trust at a nominal fee of £1 – https://bhclt.org.uk/membership/)

What you will get:

• Membership of a thriving, vibrant housing co-op
• Future secure, affordable housing in a supportive community
• Your own front door

Please fill in this application form (https://goo.gl/forms/Z2O25kEsxLoxPnlT2) by 19 October at 12 midday. If you should progress to the next phase, we will invite you to an informal chat with two of existing members and then to a co-op meeting. Membership will be provisional for 3 months depending on fulfillment of commitments from both existing members and new ones. Then new members will be full co-op members.

If you do not feel you can apply for an active membership, we will be opening up our membership again 6 months before construction. There will be a chance to apply for housing in the remainder of the homes available then.

Brighton Rock are looking for a community minded person with time to contribute to our co-op in return for an affordable rent. The co-op has 12 members living in three adjoining terraced houses in West Hove with a communal veg garden. It is 3 miles from the centre of Brighton

Applicants must attend a viewing before applying and be available for a short interview on Sat 22 or Sun 23 Sep 2018. Please tex 07815906502 to arrange a viewing

NB because of the nature of the property it is not suitable for children, couples or pets

Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT) is holding its first Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 12 September at 6.00pm at the One Church in Brighton. It will also be a celebration of the first year of the Community-Led Housing Programme. Find out more and book your place here.

Laughton Lodge – a story of building a cohousing community: Free talk from Mel Nock – a founder member of Laughton Lodge, a cohousing community set up nearly 20 years ago. Mel will be talking about the journey they took to set up their community, including the highs and lows. The event will be on Tuesday 18 September 2018, 6.00pm at Friends Centre (Brighton Junction). Find out more and book your place here.

Community engagement and community-led housing:  The session will explore how to get the wider community involved in your community-led housing project. Two experienced community organisers will be speaking: Sam Kinch joins us from the Heart of Hastings project that intends to build, purchase or renovate housing across the town that will remain affordable forever. Also, Keith Brown a Community Organiser for Nationwide who is working to build community around Oakfield Campus, a significant new housing development in Swindon. Find out more and book your place here.

Co-operative Housing in Brighton & Hove (CHIBAH) have decided to run a survey to make sure we are meeting the needs of new and existing housing co-ops in the city.  At 16 years old this year we want to make sure we are still heading in the right direction – please fill in this survey to help us with that.

Reading across our website you can find all about our nine member co-operatives with around 200 people between them. The current members of CHIBAH are: Bug, Brightside, Bunker, Rosa Bridge, Sea City, South Downs Eco, Starlings, Sussex Cohousing and Two Piers.

Upcoming meeting

We will be having a social to get to know each other and discuss the survey results on Saturday 16 June, 2pm in the Gazebo in Christchurch, Two Piers Housing Co-op. Please come along! If you are going to come, please send an email to mail@chibah.org letting us know you’ll be coming for instructions on how to get there.

How to join CHIBAH?

If your co-op would like to join CHIBAH, please email us at at info@chibah.org. To get involved, simply turn up at a meeting, the dates will be announced via the CHIBAH mailing list. There are membership fees as follows: £7.50 per housed member and £4.50 per unhoused member. If your co-op houses members already, you will not be charged for unhoused members. When you join you will be added to the mailing list, and invited to join the CHIBAH Dropbox.

 

As part of the current Community-Led Housing Programme, the Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust put on an event in which they asked the three main mortage providers for community-led housing for their advice. See here for their replies.