The national Commission on Co-operative and Mutual Housing has called for residents of every town, village and community in England to have access to co-operative or mutual housing options as part of the mainstream housing system by 2030.
The call is made in the Commission's final report Bringing Democracy Home after 18 months weighing the evidence provided by independent research and hearings with political parties and civil servants, the financial sector, co-operatives, housing organisations, local authorities and key individuals.
The launch of the Commission's report is against the backdrop of increasing political debate about public service delivery and mutuality. Proposals to introduce John Lewis-style partnerships and mutual solutions into the public sector are coming from both Labour and the Conservatives, although with different emphases.
Labour stresses the role of a large and active state as essential to facilitate grassroots approaches while the Conservatives advocate harnessing a 'Big Society' to encourage the involvement of people locally.
Commission Chair and Building Societies Association Director-General Adrian Coles, said:
"The Commission's report concludes that the English housing system would be an ideal policy arena in which co-operative and mutual approaches could be expanded to bring the UK in line with most other European countries which have far more developed sectors.
"Unlike the UK with 0.6% of housing as co-operatives or mutuals, in Sweden it's 18%, in Norway 15%, in Austria 8%, in Germany 6% and in Ireland 4%.
"The Commission started with a firm commitment that its conclusions would be evidence based; an independent Commission that drew together the mainstream and co-operative housing sectors.
"The Commission's work has followed on from the 'Monks' Commission into the wider co-operative movement in 2001 but has been welcomed by all political parties, government agencies and across the social housing sector".
Independent research for the Commission has found that co-operative and mutual housing has consistently produced a range of benefits, including above average resident satisfaction ratings and sound housing management performance. Benefits extend beyond the performance indicators, in that people who live in democratically owned or managed housing take more responsibility, and feel a greater sense of belonging, identity and ownership.
The diversity of the sector has been underlined. Housing co-operatives collectively owning and democratically managing their homes form the largest segment followed by tenant management organisations or shortlife organisations that manage or lease homes owned by other landlords.
More recently, community gateways and mutuals have made a start on injecting democracy into social housing by facilitating stock transfer from local councils. Co-housing schemes are providing community housing alternatives to the alienation of modern life, especially for older people. Also, community land trusts and mutual home ownership are couching aspirations for individual asset ownership within a community safety net.
The report calls for existing funding streams to be realigned to support the expansion of the co-operative and mutual housing sector. Support structures and a legal and regulatory framework that is sympathetic to democratic service-user control of housing are also recommended. Widespread promotion and publicity about available models, incorporating a clear route map for ordinary people to access the sector, is equally vital for future development.
The Commission has made suggestions for actions by local councils to initiate a co-operative and mutual housing sector in their areas and how housing associations can offer ongoing support.
Council housing departments, arms length organisations and housing associations are also challenged to take steps towards developing more co-operative and mutual models of delivery - both within their own organisations and in their spheres of influence.
But the crucial ingredient in expanding the sector is a commitment by Government at all levels to introduce more democracy into housing, giving ordinary people and communities the means to take control of their homes, lives and neighbourhoods and forge their own, local solutions.