Welcome to Green Wood Housing Co-operative in Leeds
Green Wood is a housing co-operative in Leeds. We were established as a co-operative in 2018, and the members moved into our house in January 2019. We own a house in the Chapeltown area, housing six members: Anna, Jess, Kai, Natalia, Rhian and Savva.
Our Vision
We are united by a goal to create a secure, affordable, communal, low-impact and collectively managed home. Over the last 18 months, we have been taking a particular focus on how we can realize this in a way that benefits broader communities. We seek to understand how we can maintain sound finances whilst also making the benefits of collective property ownership available to as many people as possible. Recently, we have been engaged in various forms of collective education, themes have included anti-oppression, as well as particular topics that co-op members are passionate about (including radical midwifery, the Kurdistan Freedom Movement and composting). We’re exploring how the physical and people resources at Green Wood can both feed and be fed by our participation in wider movements for social change.
Who are we and what do we do?
Anna is a union organiser working for ACORN. A lot of her work involves resisting evictions and organising against exploitative landlords and letting agents, as well as campaigning for better housing regionally and nationally. She also loves hiking, climbing, and hanging out with other co-op members on our big yellow sofa.
Jess is a software developer and trans rights advocate at a local startup firm. Green Wood has provided her with a safe and loving community in which she has been able to pursue transition. Her confidence has grown massively while living here.
Kai has been a member of Green Wood since before we bought our house. They love communal living and the way that housing coops facilitate housing, and therefore lifestyles beyond a capitalist framework. They work as a midwife and are particularly passionate about humanising healthcare and autonomy-based practice.
Natalia is an enthusiastic flower grower, roller skater and political organiser. A lot of her life revolves around trying to dismantle the oppressive systems we live in and build better ones, and deeply appreciates that Green Wood provides her with a loving and secure place to live while she does that, and also makes sure she eats vegetables.
Rhian is involved as a food grower and support group member at Kirkstall Valley Farm CSA. She’s active in the UK food sovereignty movement and is always keen for an outdoor swim. Green Wood continues to educate her politically and provide her with a fun and caring place to live.
Savva is a personal trainer and carer for children with Autism. Comes from a poorer background and Green Wood provides a family feeling as well as a safe and affordable home to live in.
What is a housing coop?
Housing co-operatives are set up to allow people to collectively control their housing situation without the need to personally own property.
Our co-op is based in common ownership: all our “assets” (mainly our house, plus things like white goods) are owned by Green Wood as an organisation, rather than the individuals who are the current co-op members. No individual can sell 'their bit' because it is indivisible and we own it in common with everyone else. Unlike some cohousing models, no member of Green Wood owns or part-owns our house; instead, we all have a role in its governance.
All co-operatives are governed by their members and each member has an equal say in the decision-making process. Green Wood is a fully mutual housing co-op, meaning that all tenants are members and all members are tenants, which ensures that occupants share an equal responsibility in the management of their home. Each member pays rent on their room, but instead of the money going to a landlord, the money goes directly to pay back the mortgage and on essential house expenses. Once the mortgage is paid off in around 35 years time, we can decide where to direct our rent for maximum positive social impact. We hold regular meetings to make collective decisions about the house, how we live in it together, and how we organise areas of work including financial management, DIY/repairs, and governance.
Housing co-operatives in common ownership contribute to the transfer of property out of the private housing market whilst creating an affordable commonly owned asset, even after the original members have left. It also means that should the co-op ever cease to exist, its assets would stay within the co-operative movement instead of going into private hands.
Whilst by no means the only solution to the ongoing housing crisis in Britain, we believe housing co-ops are a vital part of broader social movements striving for a more just society.
You can read more about housing co-ops here.
Recent News
