Newtown Co-operative Housing Society was formed in 2004 as a not-for-profit, self-help co-operative and member/user housing organisation.
The Society’s objects or aims are concerned with
~ the relief of housing needs for community benefit,
~ providing housing accommodation suited to the needs and financial circumstances of members,
~ the management and maintenance of co-operative housing estates and apartment buildings.
The Newtown Co-operative Housing Society currently comprises the member/residents in the co-operative housing developments at Castlegrange Heights, Swords, Pinewood Green Court and Cardy Rock, Bremore, Balbriggan and in the co-operative rental and equity-sharing ownership apartment buildings at Newtown Court, off Malahide Road, (near the N.32 Road).
Membership
There are currently some 282 members using the housing accommodation services managed by Newtown Co-operative Housing Society. Each member is a shareholder in the Society.
The member/tenants in the rental dwellings were social housing waiting list applicants, assessed by the local authority (Fingal County Council or Dublin City Council, depending on the location of the co-operative dwellings) as being in need of housing and nominated according to their priority. They have opted for co-operative housing as a solution to their needs.
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 involvement of the Society in the management of the 112 co-operative equity-sharing ownership purchase apartments at Newtown Court has provided the means for modest but limited income applicants to obtain a 50% ownership stake in their dwellings with affordable mortgage loans. These are members who were drawn from the City Council’s affordable ownership housing waiting list. The Society provides the ongoing management, caretaking and maintenance services for these apartment buildings and for the other co-operative rental apartments in this estate.
Management
The Society’s management committee (board of directors) consists mainly of the 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 the 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 small.
Arrangements are made for the nomination of interested applicants from the social housing waiting list of the relevant local authority (Dublin City Council / Fingal County Council) 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 vacant equity-sharing purchase apartment dwellings is usually from the affordable housing list managed by the City Council.
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. The programme includes an explanation of the details of the rental tenancy or the lease purchase arrangements, as applicable to the tenure of the co-operative dwellings available and the estate management arrangements. This includes details of the rent or the service charges payable to the Society.
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 or apartment building.
The Co-operative Housing Society expects fair dealing, support and solidarity 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 arrangements for co-operative equity-sharing apartments require the payment of annual management service charges ( payable 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
Newtown Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.
111, Newtown Court,
Malahide Road,
Dublin 17
Telephone: +
00 353 (0)1 8675470
Fax: +00 353 (0)1 8675465
E-mail:
info@newtowncooperativehousing.ie
View:
Office Location Map for Newtown Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.
View: Structure - Newtown Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.
Newtown 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.
Newtown Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. is also affiliated to the National Association of Building Co-operatives.
