History of our Co-operative
Tenants First Housing Co-operative was formed in the spring of 2000 through the amalgamation of 6 separate Housing Co-operatives and their not for profit Management Company, Property Partners. The original co-operatives were set up in response to the Housing Act 1988 and the merger of Scottish Special Housing Association with the Housing Corporation in Scotland to form Scottish Homes. One of Scottish Homes established long term aims was to encourage tenants to adopt different management or ownership arrangements using mechanisms such as Tenants Choice or Large Scale Voluntary Transfer.
Scottish Homes tenants in Grampian responded to this change in housing policy by deciding to form Fully Mutual Housing Co-operatives designed to give the tenants control over their homes and the community.
Since each of the Co-operatives were likely to be too small to be self sufficient it was agreed they would enter into a unique partnership arrangement and set up a non profit management company (originally known as Grampian Homes) to undertake all the management, maintenance and administration on their behalf. The management company later become an Industrial and Provident Society and changed its name to Property Partners.
The Housing Co-operatives were registered as approved Landlords with Scottish Homes and the first transfers began in 1992 and ended in 1996. All the houses transferred under the Tenants Choice legislation and this was the largest such transfer using this mechanism in Scotland. The original Co-ops were;
- Fraserburgh Housing Co-operative - with houses in Fraserburgh
- Ugievale Housing Co-operative – with houses in Peterhead & Mintlaw
- Bennachie Housing Co-operative – with houses in Balmedie, Pitmedden, Inverurie, Kemnay and Westhill
- Deeside Housing Co-operative – with houses in Garthdee, Aberdeen, Peterculter, Banchory and Aboyne
- Sheddocksley Housing Co-operative – with houses in the Sheddocksley area of Aberdeen
- St Machar Housing Co-operative – with houses in the East Side of Aberdeen from Dyce in the North to Princes Street in the South
