500th Member signs up to Housing Mutual

John and Lynne Brosnan

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) officially became the UK’s first tenant and employee co-owned mutual landlord on 26 March and already the society is celebrating its 500th Member.

43 year old John Whetton works for Manchester based ‘Back on Track’, a charity that helps vulnerable adults re-engage with education. He has been an RBH tenant for over ten years and welcomes the change to a mutual set up.

“In the 1980’s my parents were very active in the co-operative housing movement in the Midlands,” he said. “I can remember how they held resident meetings in our front room and how the discussions there really helped to make a difference to our local community - and so I particularly appreciate what RBH is trying to do.”

RBH Chief Executive, Gareth Swarbrick, said; “Our new model will help find solutions to the challenges we are facing and the active involvement of both tenants and employees will be crucial.

”We are delighted with the way in which both tenants and employees have supported us and the membership drive is well on track.”

The mutual model adopted by RBH has a structure that means tenants and employees can choose to become members of the new mutual - giving them ownership with the right to elect their representatives onto a Representative Body. This will comprise of elected tenants and employees who will be joined by council representatives and co-opted external stakeholders. It will monitor the success of the society, shape the policy framework and prioritise spending. It will also appoint (and remove) the Board of Directors.

Lynne Brosnan, Chairwoman of the Constitution Commission at RBH welcomed Mr Whetton to the membership and explained the work of the committee and how the mutual will develop in the future.

“The mutual model is about facing the future together,” she said. “In order to do that there has to be a consensus about what we want from our housing and our communities and we are all very excited to be at the forefront of this new thinking in the housing sector.”

John said that he was keen to get more involved in the management of the organisation and to have a say in the way in which RBH develops.

He said: “Personally I have a great fondness and belief in the mutual model which gives tenants and staff a genuine voice.”