"Everyone knows that renting in Bristol is a shambles: spiralling costs, crazy demand, discrimination, eviction. The situation is serious, with nearly one in three Bristolians renting their home and costs rising faster than in any other UK city." ~The Bristol Cable
That's why we at Sorrel Housing Co-operative, a new community-led housing project in Bristol, are doing something about it. We will create affordable, safe and secure housing in perpetuity that will not only house Sorrel co-op's current and future members for decades to come, but also help build more resilient, diverse and supportive communities in Bristol.
To do this we need your help. We are seeking funds to support the final stages of our coop development, to put us firmly in a position to buy a home. These funds will go towards paying a community-led housing enabler to support us in: finalising a strong financial model so we can secure a mortgage and loans; fine-tuning the final details of our business plan, and completing our loanstock offer which will be used to raise investment for a deposit on a home.
Any money that we raise beyond paying for support from a community-led housing enabler will help to realise our goal of securing affordable housing in Bristol. There are costs at every corner, including membership fees, legal fees, financial advisor, lawyers, surveyors and so much more. Any contribution you can make will go a long way to help us move beyond the last stages needed for us to secure a home.
It's a difficult time to be renting, with prices soaring to ever more unaffordable levels. Finding and securing a property is a real chance for a new housing co-op to keep rents down, keep members safe from unhealthy housing conditions and invest in the local community, both socially and ecologically.
Co-ops also support other co-ops; we're aiming to contribute to a growing network of co-operative housing in response to the housing crisis.
We would appreciate any donations; step by step we can make positive change in the housing sector that actually benefits the community that live there. Thank you for your support, and please share our mission far and wide.
**If you'd like to invest in Sorrel Housing Co-op via a loan, please get in touch for our loanstock info pack and full details: [email protected].**
Here we are in the BBC: Bristol renters looking for security turn to housing co-ops
Photos below (credit Henry Kenyon): Sorrel Housing Co-op hosts the Radical Routes summer gathering, 2024, at Three Hares Farm outside Bristol.