• New ICA Housing Board;
  • ICA Sectoral Organisation Discussions;
  • CECODHAS [now Housing Europe];
  • ILO Resolution 193;
  • Bringing Democracy Home;
  • Two-day Conference:
    • accessing capital for new housing development;
    • aging housing stock refinancing;
    • financing housing co-operatives for seniors

A Message from ICA Housing President, David Rodgers

David Rodgers

I am pleased to introduce this fifth edition e-bulletin for Members of ICA Housing around the World.  Our members are the national and regional housing co-operative federations and housing co-operative development and service agencies that are members or affiliate members of the International Co-operative Alliance

The production of a regular electronic news bulletin for our members and others interested in our work is one of the key targets ICA Housing has set itself in its work plan for the years 2010 to 2014.  As is reported in this bulletin, having set our governance and administration on a firm footing, we wish to concentrate our efforts on providing added value services to our members to assist them in their aim of providing quality affordable housing for the citizens in need of it in their respective countries.

One way we can do this is to share our knowledge and expertise.  It is rarely, if ever, possible to import co-operative housing systems from one country to another because the law, culture, and financial arrangements in each country are different.  But there is a great deal to be learnt from understanding the way co-operative housing is developed and financed in different countries.  This regular e-bulletin is part of that knowledge and information sharing process, as are the ‘in-country profiles’ from ICA Housing members on our website.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the effects of which will be felt for a generation, the capacity of housing co-operatives to provide homes and shelter in communities that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable in both the developed and developing world is a vital potential to exploit.  Housing co-operatives have a unique capacity to harness the talents of ordinary people, families and communities who need a decent, affordable home.  This is vitally important at a time when the financial capacities of governments are constrained by an unprecedented global economic crisis which has also damaged and restricted the capacity of commercial banks and financial institutions.  It is circumstances such as these which stimulate the development of co-operative forms of enterprise to meet basic human needs, including the need for housing and shelter.

The United Nations, which recognizes the International Co-operative Alliance as a formal consultative body, has declared that the year 2012 will be the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to promote co-operatives as a better form of enterprise that promotes equality, equity and solidarity.  We will be outlining our plans for 2012 in later bulletins, but I urge your organisation, if you are not a member or affiliate member of the International Co-operative Alliance to begin your preparations for the UN International Year of Co-operatives and show your solidarity with other Co-operators in over ninety countries by becoming an ICA member.

A New Board, a New President, a New Focus

Board 2010

Last November, five dedicated long-term members left the ICA Housing Board of Directors for new challenges.  Mr. Mike Doyle from CHF International (USA), Mr. Ralph Norberg from NBBL (Norway), Ms Gun-Britt Martensson from HSB (Sweden), Mr. Claus Hachmann, from GdW (Germany) and, Mr. Luciano Caffini, from Legacoop Abitanti (Italy) dedicated many precious hours to make ICA Housing an efficient and effective sectoral organization of the International Co-operative Alliance.  Under the presidency of Mr. Doyle, ICA Housing got its finances and administrative practices in order, a mission statement and long-term goals were approved, annual work plans were established and agreed and staff hired to assist the Board to achieve its goals.

Recognizing that the focus of the last few years was largely internal, and rightfully so, the new president David Rodgers from CDS Co-operatives (UK) and the Board members have set for themselves a new focus for the years to come.

At its first meeting held on May 16 2010 in Brescia, Italy, the Board agreed a work plan focused on adding value to members while continuing to improve the administrative practices of the ICA Housing.  Providing face-to-face opportunities (see below) to discuss and share relevant information, pursuing the development of electronic communication exchange and responding to the best of its capacities to threats faced by housing co-operatives around the world – are examples of what the Board aims to accomplish.  To help achieve these objectives CDS Co-operatives in the UK and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada have provided additional financial and staff resources to ICA Housing.

ICA Housing and the ICA Sectoral Organization’s Discussions

ICA Housing President Mr. Rodgers is closely involved in the discussions about the future role, function and funding of ICA Sectoral Organizations (SO).  The discussions are with the representatives of the other 8 ICA SOs.  These represent co-operative agriculture, fishing, banking, health, worker, consumer, insurance and tourism co-operatives.

These discussions have been positive and constructive.  The ICA Board of Directors and its Governance Committee have recognized that the SOs are a vital part of the ICA global democratic structure able to add value to members and be a strong, democratic international body for all sectors of co-operative enterprise.  The proposal for the review of SOs from the previous Governance Committee no longer to recognize or fund the sectoral organizations galvanized all the sectoral organizations to rise to the challenge of showing their value to ICA Members.  As a result, the proposal to replace them with a central sectoral intelligence and support unit at ICA’s Geneva headquarters is no longer seen as viable or desirable by the ICA’s Global Board.  Instead, the ICA Global Board through its Governance Committee and the SO representatives on the SO Liaison Group are developing criteria for the recognition of the SOs which will ensure that they enhance the capacity of the ICA, are genuinely representative and accountable, and expand ICA membership and strength.

A full report on these negotiations will be given in a later ICA Housing e-bulletin when these discussions are completed.  If you wish to know more information about the detail of these discussions, please contact the ICA Housing Secretariat.

Formalizing ICA Housing and CECODHAS’ Relationship

The ICA Housing Board has confirmed its intention to formalize its relationship with CECODHAS, Cooperative Section, through a Memorandum of Understanding.  The objective motivating this initiative is twofold.  Firstly, the Board wishes to ensure that all its European ICA Region members, including those from member states that are not members of the European Union and therefore not eligible to be full members of CECODHAS, are able to participate in the decisions made at the CECODHAS table that have an impact on them.  ICA Housing has three European members in this category.  Secondly, the Board is committed to encourage collaboration and avoid duplication of meetings and effort in Europe.  Joint meetings and events are examples of initiatives that can be planned in co-operation with the Co-operative Section of CECODHAS (now called Housing Europe).

ILO Resolution 193

ICA Housing members will be interested to understand the importance and implications of ILO resolution 193.  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) set up following the First World War by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles recognized that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.  Since 1919 countries that are members of the ILO have an obligation to consider and report to their national legislative assembly on how they intend to implement ILO recommendations.  ILO resolution 193 requires member states to ensure that their laws and economic policies “provide a framework to develop the laws, administrative systems, and policies that enable co-operatives to flourish”.

This is important as an international treaty obligation if you are faced with government policies which disadvantage co-operatives, as has happened for housing co-operatives in some countries.  The Co-operative College in the UK has published a guide to ILO 193 (updated 2014).

Every country that is an ILO member has an obligation to implement this resolution.  On two recent occasions, housing co-operatives facing severe difficulties and being unfairly treated by their government used this important international treaty obligation to argue for the equitable treatment of co-operatives in national policy.

A New UK Publication

Bringing Democracy Home

Bringing Democracy Home

In England, the independent Commission on Co-operative and Mutual Housing has published a report Bringing Democracy Home following an eighteen month review of housing co-operatives.  Based on data gathered by external experts the “Commission has found that co-operative and mutual housing has been consistently producing a range of benefits”.  Moreover, the Commission report shows that “this is because the people who live there democratically own and/or manage their homes, taking responsibility and feeling a sense of belonging, identity and ownership”.

Mark Your Calendar – An invitation to all members for a two-day Symposium

The ICA Housing Board’s next meeting will be held in London, England, on 6 October 2010.  It will be followed by a two-day Symposium on the 7th and 8th of October.  The first day will be dedicated to financial issues such as accessing capital for new housing development, aging housing stock refinancing, and financing housing co-operatives for senior (retirement) housing.  The second day will be devoted to continuing the discussions on the role of housing co-operatives in tackling climate change.

Full details about the program for this event and the logistics of booking to attend will be published on the ICA Housing Website in August.

Tell us what you need from ICA Housing

A key part of ICA Housing’s strategy is to offer to support and respond to the needs of members.  Do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for information and/or assistance.