Brent Community Housing (BCH)

In 1975, 130 single people occupying 12 houses on Christchurch Avenue and Chatsworth Road in Cricklewood, London approached Brent Council to recognize them as a Residents Association named Kilburn Community Housing. In 1977 the Residents Association became the fully mutual Housing Co-operative, Brent Community Housing.

Since 1975 BCH has taken hundreds of short-life properties into management and housed up to 1500 homeless people. BCH has held licences from the London Borough of Brent, Paddington Churches Housing Association, Octavia Care and Support, Stadium Housing Association, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, United Women’s Homes Association, Stonebridge Housing Action Trust (Hillside Housing) and Peabody Housing Trust.

BCH has also managed permanent properties on behalf of Islington Community Housing; Circle 33, Everbrook Housing Co-operative, Stadium Housing Association and Ujima Housing Association. More recently BCH has entered into contract to manage leasehold property. However, BCH still manages predominately short-life housing and is actively looking for new properties to manage

BCH & Barham Estate Regeneration 2010

Handover of keys on the Barnham Estate

Empty properties on the Barham Park Estate, which is being redeveloped, have been  used to house BCH members, thanks to a joint initiative between Brent Council, Brent Housing Partnership (BHP) and Brent Community Housing (BCH).

Local authority tenants on the estate have moved out of Barham Park so that the £80 million redevelopment can take place.  But rather than leave some flats on the estate empty for the next six months Brent Community Housing temporary tenants are moving in.

Martin Cheeseman, Director of Housing and Community Care said: “This agreement works really well for everyone – especially the residents of the Barham Park Estate. Rather then having a large block of empty flats which attract anti-social behaviour, squatters and are expensive to protect.  We have arranged for members of BCH to move their clients into the properties – that way those living on the estate will still have neighbours making the estate more secure.”

Rose Tudor Director of BCH added: “The BCH will manage and carry out any repairs needed to the properties whilst our members are staying there. We will also use the time to hopefully locate housing for them during their stay. ”

For More Information Visit BCH’s Website:  www.bch.coop

Contact: Rose Tudor, Director - 020 7624 3168