The Fingal Co-operative Housing Society is a not-for-profit, self-help co-operative and member/user organisation formed to

~ relieve the housing needs of persons willing to accept the responsibilities of co-operative membership,
~ provide housing accommodation suited to the needs and financial circumstances of members,
~ manage and maintain co-operative housing estates and apartment buildings.

The Society is involved in the provision and management of co-operative housing in the Fingal County area at Parslickstown and Tyrrelstown Road, Mulhuddart.

Membership

The members of the co-operative housing society are the tenants/residents in the housing estates and apartments managed by the Society. Each member/tenant is a shareholder in the Society.

Co-operative rental housing provides good quality accommodation with security of tenure and affordable rents related to the household income circumstances of each member/tenant. Co-operative rental dwellings are not available for tenant purchase or sale as they are retained to meet ongoing social rented housing needs in the community.

The Society is also involved in the provision of co-operative equity-sharing affordable purchase houses currently under construction at Tyrrelstown Park for eligible or qualified members, with modest but limited incomes. These are for applicants seeking Affordable Ownership Housing who cannot afford the full price of a dwelling but are interested in achieving a 50% ownership equity stake, with an affordable mortgage loan, as co-operative members.

The housing solutions provided by the Fingal Co-operative Housing Society contribute towards a socially balanced range of tenure options for people in need of housing in the local communities served by the Society.

Management

The Society’s management committee (board of directors) consists mainly of representatives of the member/residents in the local co-operative housing developments. They share responsibility for the conduct of the business affairs and monitor the performance of the housing management and maintenance services.

A small staff team, led by the Society’s manager/secretary, deals with housing administration, tenancies, rents, caretaking, repairs, maintenance, service charges, and estate management.

Recruitment of New Members and Vacancies

The recruitment of new members is related to the availability of dwellings in new co-operative housing developments or as the result of vacancies in the existing housing stock. The number of vacancies occurring is quite low.

Arrangements are made for the nomination of interested applicants by the local authority (Fingal County Council) from its social housing waiting list, for whom the co-operative rental dwellings available, having regard to the type, size and location, may provide a suitable housing solution.

The nomination of interested, qualified applicants for co-operative membership and purchase of equity-sharing purchase apartment dwellings, currently under construction, will be from the affordable housing list managed by the County Council, at the appropriate advanced construction stage. Completion is expected in mid 2011.

The local authority social and affordable housing waiting lists, therefore, act as a “gateway” for access to the co-operative housing solutions.

Applicants are expected to participate in an information and familiarisation programme about co-operative organisation and membership responsibilities. This is conducted prior to the allocation of membership and a tenancy. The programme includes an explanation of the details of the rental tenancy or the lease purchase agreements and the rents or the service charges, as applicable to the tenure of the co-operative dwellings being made available and the estate management arrangements.

The right is reserved to refuse membership to applicants where there is a previous poor tenancy record, or a record of anti-social behaviour by the applicant, or members of his/her household, such as may affect the management, upkeep and care of a co-operative housing estate/apartment building.

The Co-operative Housing Society expects fair dealing, solidarity and support from all its members.

The co-operative dwellings let to members comprise family size and single person units, as available in the Society’s estates and apartment buildings. These have provided long term housing solutions for members over many years.

Rents

The rents payable by member/tenants for co-operative social rented dwellings are related to the housing management and maintenance costs and their household income circumstances, as assessed each year in the month of April, rather than market level rents. Members undertake in the signed tenancy agreements to pay the rent amount due in full and on time each month (weekly payments are accepted) and to care for the dwellings let to them.

The rents are applied to meet the ongoing housing management, caretaking, repairs and maintenance costs, with financial provision towards a reserve fund for cyclical or future costs incurred in the upkeep of the co-operative rental dwelling stock, estates and apartment buildings.

Service Charges

The terms of the lease-purchase agreement for a co-operative equity-sharing apartment require the payment of an annual management service charge (in monthly instalments) related to the cost of management, caretaking and maintenance of the apartment building, including a provision towards the reserve fund for cyclical or future costs incurred in the upkeep of the apartment building and related facilities and services.

Contact Details

Fingal Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.
33, Lower Baggot Street
Dublin 2

Telephone:  + 00 353 (0)1 6692000
Fax:  +00 353 (0)1 6692009
E-mail:   info@dublincooperativehousing.ie

View:     Office Location Map for Fingal Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.

Fingal Co-operative Housing Society Limited is a registered not-for-profit Industrial and Provident Society. The Society has the status of an approved housing body under Housing Legislation and is recognised as being formed for charitable community benefit purposes by the Revenue Commissioners.
Fingal Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. is also affiliated to the National Association of Building Co-operatives.