Everyone has an equal say in how their homes are managed.  But everyone retains their own front door key too.  Experience in existing co-operative housing schemes with elderly residents shows that residents tend to look out for each and provide companionship for those who feel in need of it.  Resident management should also ensure that running costs are kept down. 

How would Mutual Retirement Housing work?  The report Keeping control of our lives proposes two models which involve either a form of commonhold or mutual home ownership.  Commonhold would be suitable for people who are able to purchase their interest in full from the outset.  With commonhold, everyone owns their own flat but jointly own the common parts and the land on which the building stands. 

With Mutual Home Ownership, the retirement housing would be built on land owned by a community land trust.  The tenants would be members of the mutual home ownership co-op. MHO schemes would be suitable for low income older owner-occupiers many of whom now live in sub-standard accommodation.  The government should setup a unit to promote MRH schemes.  Small scale pilot schemes should also be encouraged

For further information please contact  Glyn Thomas