Housing Co-operatives
A Groundbreaking Look at the Future of Community-Driven Housing
📘 Published: 1975 (Republished in 2016 with a new introduction)
✍️ Author: John Hands
🔬 Genre: Housing Policy | Sociology | Urban Development | Community Living
🏆 Critical Acclaim: “A marvelous and exemplary guide to the future of co-operative housing.” – Architects’ Journal
The Global Housing Crisis & The Need for a New Solution
As property prices continue to skyrocket, rental markets become increasingly unstable, and homeownership feels out of reach for millions, the need for alternative housing solutions has never been greater.
In Housing Co-operatives, John Hands offers a bold, insightful, and practical exploration of how co-operative housing models can transform the way we think about homeownership and community living.
This comprehensive book provides a historical, theoretical, and practical examination of housing co-operatives worldwide, highlighting success stories, failures, and key lessons for the future.
It also serves as a practical guide, drawing from John Hands’ own experience as the pioneer of the Sanford Housing Co-operative in the UK, the country’s first purpose-built, self-managed housing co-operative.
What Are Housing Co-operatives?
A housing co-operative is a community-driven housing model that offers an alternative to traditional ownership and renting. Instead of a single landlord or developer profiting from property, residents collectively own and manage their housing on a non-profit basis producing a reduction in housing costs and the development of communities.
Key Benefits of Housing Co-operatives:
- Increasing Affordability: Instead of rising housing costs, co-operatives produce an increasing reduction.
- Community Control: Residents collectively make decisions about maintenance, policies, and governance.
- Security & Stability: Unlike traditional renting, co-operative members have long-term housing security.
- Sustainability: Many co-operatives prioritize eco-friendly living and shared resources, reducing environmental impact
Key Insight: Co-operatives aren’t just about housing—they create thriving communities where people actively participate in shaping their living environments.
The Practical Guide: How to Start and Manage a Housing Co-operative
Housing Co-operatives is not just a theoretical exploration—it’s also a step-by-step guide for those looking to create, manage, or join a housing co-operative.
Key Topics Covered:
- Legal Structures & Governance Models – What legal frameworks support co-operatives?
- Financing & Funding Options – How can co-ops secure funding without traditional mortgages?
- Member Responsibilities & Community Engagement – What makes a successful co-op?
- Challenges & Solutions – Common obstacles and how to overcome them.
Critical Acclaim & Reviews
- This is a book for those who believe in the power of people to shape their own lives. —The Catholic Herald
- Shock, horror, drama. A new book is out about housing which says it’s all about people and not about social engineering or investing for your old age…it’s by John Hands who has actually succeeded in doing what he’s talking about, which is to set up co-operative housing schemes that actually work. —The Guardian
- John Hands’ timely and exemplary guide is marvellous…this is a book for all concerned with the role of and effects of housing in this society of ours. —The Architects’ Journal
- A most powerful mixture of common sense and idealism, a practical man’s gospel and a visionary’s handbook…this is a book intended to influence events here and now. —Building
- His book is the most comprehensive account we have of co-operative principles applied to housing, the experience of other countries, and the possibilities…John Hands’ book is going to be indispensable. —Municipal Engineering
- [John Hands] shows how housing co-ops could offer, in the immediate future, a valuable alternative form of social ownership in housing, enabling people to collectively own and control one of their fundamental human rights—housing—on the basis of mutual aid rather than individual gain or distant bureaucracy. —Housing Review
- The strengths and pitfalls of a co-operative framework for housing are made admirably clear. —Architectural Design
- A unique mixture, thorough and practically written by a person who has spent the last seven years working full-time in developing and managing housing co-operatives… One feels that a penetrating mind has been brought to bear on the subject and the book will be of great use not only to both professionals and tenants but also to anyone who cares about one of the common ills of today—the alienation and loneliness of individuals in modern urban society. —Voluntary Housing
- Housing managers will find the book not only a valuable and interesting source of practical information about housing co-operatives, but also stimulating and provocative in its penetrating observations on recent housing policies and on social and community problems besetting modern urban society. —Housing Monthly
- The importance of this book is that it not only states clearly what needs to be done but goes on to discuss in detail how it is to be done… This is a book to study and discuss. —Co-operative News
- The major contribution his book should make to what we call the British Co-operative Movement should be one of challenge and stimulation. —Co-operative Review
- John Hands has recently published an important book on housing co-operatives in which he surveys his experiences and findings…he does not shrink from employing a critical yardstick to housing co-operatives in other countries and outlines his views about the practical action to be taken in present and future circumstances. —International Co-operative Alliance Housing Bulletin
Where to Buy Housing Co-operatives
Available in Hardcover, Paperback, and eBook
Purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, and Independent Bookstores
Found in major libraries and academic institutions worldwide
Final Thoughts: Why This Book Matters
If you’re tired of the traditional housing market’s limitations and want to explore alternative ways to secure stable, affordable, and community-driven housing, Housing Co-operatives is the ultimate guide.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Homeowners & Renters: Looking for more affordable and sustainable housing options
- Urban Planners & Policymakers: Seeking innovative housing solutions for cities.
- Activists & Community Leaders: Interested in starting co-operative housing initiatives.
- Economists & Sociologists: Studying alternative housing models and their impact on society.
The future of housing doesn’t have to be unaffordable, unsustainable, or out of reach. Housing Co-operatives shows that another way is possible.
