The Hive Housing Co-op

  The Hive began as a bunch of friends who had endured years of poor quality housing and naughty landlordship in Bradford. However, Cornerstone in Leeds showed us that there was an alternative, and in late 1995, we began to meet up at the 1in12 club and the New Beehive Inn, (the inspiration for the name). We joined the Registry of Friendly Societies as a fully mutual housing co-operative – this means all tenants have to be members, and all members must be tenants or prospective tenants. 

In order to raise money for the deposit on our mortgage, we issued loanstock. This effectively meant that people could support the idea of the Hive, whilst lending money at an interest rate of their choosing. Radical Routes supported us with a loan. On finding a suitable property, we secured a 70% mortgage with the Crosshills based Ecology Building Society.

So, in June 1997, seven members of the Hive moved into a brilliant Victorian terraced house in Manningham. Nearly six years on, we’ve spent time improving the house and now have a maximum of five members as we’ve converted a large bedroom into a living room.

We’ve been trying to put into practise the ideals of co-operative living, direct democracy, a bit of self-reliance and la good few parties. Decisions about the running of the house and the co-op are made at regular meetings by consensus. 

We see the Hive as a demonstration of how people’s home life can be organised in a more humane, ecological and fulfilling way, and also as a catalyst for changing our society into one that embodies these qualities. The co-op and its members are involved in a variety of ‘social change’ activities locally, nationally and globally. We are members of Radical Routes, a national co-op of co-ops, whose members:

 “… are working towards taking control over our housing, education and work through setting up housing co-operatives, and co-operating as a network. Through gaining collective control over these areas we aim to reduce reliance on exploitative structures and build secure bases from which to challenge the system and encourage others to do so”. (Radical Routes Policy Document)