COME TOGETHER AND SHARE YOUR PROBLEMS ON HOUSING WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS!

 

HOUSING IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT AND HOUSING COOPERATIVE S ARE ONE OF THE APPROACHES TO ACQUIRE AFFORDABLE SHELTER.

WHAT IS HOUSING COOPERATIVE ?
bullet It is a formal association of people with " common bonds" that works for the improvement of members living conditions using self help principles.
bullet Housing coops are self-help facilities.
bullet Self administration self determination and solidarity.
bullet The major goal is to enhance access to affordable shelter particularly for the poor.

WHY HOUSING COOPERATIVE?

bullet For easy access to land.
bullet For easy access to technical assistance.
bullet For effective saving for limited resources.
bullet For easy access to financial assistance.
bullet For easy access to infrastructure and social services.
bullet For easy access to open space and recreational area.
bullet For improving your own existing environment.

HOW CAN WOMEN ADVANCEMENT TRUST ASSIST?

bullet Mobilizing people into groups.
bullet Formulating housing coops.
bullet Encouraging members to save
bullet Educating the management and members through seminars/workshops.
bullet Assisting preparations of by laws and registration with Registrar of the cooperatives
bullet Assisting the coops to prepare plan of action
bullet Assisting the coops to negotiate with the government for land allocation.
bullet Preparation of house designs and types.
bullet Assisting the coops on technical know-how in housing development.
bullet Facilitating exchange visits appropriate to shelter development
bullet Assisting the coops to acquire loan from credit institutions
bullet Maintaining contacts with coops, housing societies, relevant ministries, institutions and agencies
bullet Undertake field visit to project sites of the cooperative housing societies by WAT.

The Cooperative societies Act 1991: The objectives of a primary of society shall be:

bullet (a) to strive to raise the standard of living of its members
bullet (b) to facilitate the operations of the individual members
bullet (c) to provide services to its members including supplying agricultural inputs and processing and marketing of the products of its members. (sect. 16 A)
Before starting any housing cooperative one might have several questions to ask on housing problems:

1.Are you satisfied with your housing?

Is it soundly built and of permanent nature? 
Does it let the rain in? 
Do several people live in one room? 

2.What about sanitation, are you satisfied with it? 

3.If you are the owner of the house...

With your income, can you save enough money to improve it as you would wish?

4.If you are a tenant; 

Do you pay more than one fifth of your income for rent? 
Does the owner maintain his/her property 
Does the owner meet your wishes? 

5.Are you satisfied with your housing environment?                                                                                     

Is there a market or shopping centre nearby? 
Are there any educational facilities? 
Are there any health facilities? 
Are there any open spaces and recreational areas? 
Is public transport available? 
Is your housing estate accessible? 
Is there solid waste disposal facilities available? 
Is all the sewerage collected and maintained? 
Is there provision of storm water drains and maintenance? 

All these questions shall have led you to examine your housing situation and to decide whether you are happy with it or not.

What could be done to improve your housing situation? There are nicer dwellings but they cost a lot of money you might go to the local authorities and ask them to do something about your house or you might ask your landlord to improve it. May be you've tried it already. Did you achieve your aim? 

For you as an individual the chances of improving your environment are extremely small. Your best chance is to meet other people who have the same problems and difficulties as you have. You could organize a group. 

What is a group? A group is a number of people who have come together for some reason, and have something in common e.g. occupational group, residential group or association group. People having the same or similar economic and social problems. 

If you are willing to solve your problem together in a group you will have a better chance of solving it than trying to do it alone, but the group must be organized. 


 

How to solve your housing problems by self-help?

SELF-HELP can be the action of an individual to improve her/his living environment, or a group of people set to help each other. This is them mutual assistance through group action. When a number of people have analysed their problems and needs then the best thing they can do is to get together and discuss what they are to do about them. Let's look at a group of individuals who are dissatisfied with their shelter but whose individual incomes are too low to afford a house. In order to be able to solve their problem, these people combine their forces and form a cooperative group.

This group has three things in common: a shortage of satisfactory housing the individuals have low incomes the wish to obtain better housing What are the advantages of self-help in house building?

(i) Saving up before hand: by combining their meagre resources, people of low incomes can save a very good sum of money. Thus an organized self help group is in a better position to get loan quickly than individual.
(ii) Security and confidence: it is easier for banks and government agencies to grant credit to an organized group than to an individual person
(iii) Economy; self-help in housing also means that each member takes an active part in helping to build the houses. Everything which the group can produce for itself means a lot of money is saved

MEMBERSHIP
How to become a members of a housing cooperative? There are certain conditions for membership which are laid down in the bylaws.

There are two ways of becoming a member:

(i) as a founder member
(ii) as an applicant for membership Right and obligations of members in a cooperative society

1. The rights of cooperative members:

(i) participation in the life of the housing cooperative
(ii) rights to share in the achievements of the housing cooperative

2. The obligations of members of cooperatives are:

(i) to observe the bylaws of cooperatives
(ii) to attend training courses run by the cooperatives for potential members
(iii) to inform themselves about the activities of the cooperative
(iv) to meet financial obligations such as entry fees, shares, payments for special services etc.
(v) accountability and transparency

BYLAWS

According to cooperative Act, each cooperative is entitled to draw up its own bylaws provided they do not contravene the provisions of the law. The bylaws are drawn up by the members.

What should the bylaws contain?
The bylaws of each cooperative must contain regulations. This is vital because members, business partners and government want to know:

(i) what is the aim of this cooperative?
(ii) what business does it conduct?
(iii) what are the rights and obligations of its members?
(iv) how is the cooperative organized?

Each cooperative must produce the following information

(i) Name and address of the society and area of its operations
(ii) conditions of membership
(iii) what are the rights and obligations of its members?
(iv) how is the cooperative organized?

Non compliance with the bylaws
Members not fulfilling the provisions of the bylaws may be fined, may even be expelled from the cooperative

Cooperative structure
bullet Cooperative members
bullet Management Committee
bullet Executive Committee
bullet Sub Committee/ Sub Committee/ Sub Committee

 
 

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