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Riverlink Housing Co-operative Ltd

Riverlink Housing Co-operative is based around North East London and has done some amazing work in rescuing properties bought-up in advance of road schemes, which would otherwise have been left to rot.  The co-op has been in existence for twenty years and at present has 28 properties.

It aims to provide affordable housing for single, independent people in housing  need. However, over the years some members have acquired partners and families, but still choose to stay in the co-operative, rather than accept housing from local authorities or housing associations, since they really value having a say in the running of the co-op and in the management of their housing.

Riverlink oversees the renovation of all its properties and work is carried out largely by the members themselves. In order to help people acquire the skills they want to acquire, which will also benefit the co-op, there’s a training budget of £10,000 a year and the membership now includes carpenters, painters, qualified electricians and plumbers. The co-op has one paid member of staff.

Self- Help Housing & Regeneration

The N11 and N13 areas of Enfield have suffered from blight for many years and the regeneration of the area is a long term project requiring investment, creativity, and community involvement.  At the moment Riverlink believes that it is playing an important part  in holding these areas together and in contributing to the rebuilding of a sustainable and diverse community in the future.

93 Telford Road is one of the properties in N11 which Riverlink has taken over. It was leased by the co-op in 2006 and like all Riverlink properties it was brought up to “the decent homes standard”. This involved removing all the accumulated refuse, rewiring, re-plumbing, redecorating and fitting a new kitchen and bathroom. Here’s an example of what the co-op’s members achieved:

Ground floor living room: The French doors are boarded up and all the glass smashed as a result.  Large amounts of rubbish also had to be cleared from this room.

Ground floor living room: Reglazed, re-decorated and a new floor

The Future For Riverlink

The regeneration of this area is now about to start in earnest, following the cancellation of the road scheme and the sale by Transport for London of the co-op’s loaned properties to a housing association. Thanks to the work that Riverlink has done to the properties, when these are handed over to the housing association they’ll be in very good condition, unlike many similar properties that have been left to rot and are in serious disrepair.

While this is a welcome development, it means that Riverlink now needs to find alternative properties and at present the co-op is busy looking for replacement properties across London.

For further information, contact Riverlink’s manager Steve Mallaburn: Steve@Riverlink.org.uk