Housing for the unwaged

Determined groups of unemployed people could set up their own educational and other networks, buying themselves places to live in the process, as a Birmingham group of three men and women, ex-students in their early twenties, have demonstrated. They established the 'New University' based in a house in Hockley (although they have since changed the name from 'New University' to 'Radical Routes' as part of a network of nine housing co-ops). This house they bought for L35,000, by forming a 'New Education Housing Co-operative Ltd' and by obtaining a mortgage, with loans from supporters for the deposit. The 25 year mortgage is being paid off through charging themselves rent of L25 a week each, which housing benefit covers.

'The 25 year mortgage is being paid off through charging themselves rent of L25 a week each, which housing benefit covers'

They decorated the house and began to host events, such as a weekend on 'Radical Education' and a 'Skills and Knowledge Sharing Festival'. Roger Hallam, one of the six, who dropped out from his course at LSE to help launch the New University, from the outset hoped to bring together a number of similar houses to form a network. The idea was to sell loan stock to well-wishers (who can state what interest rate they require) and to put this money down as deposit for mortgages on further houses. As Hallam says, 'with a lot of radical projects, the biggest problem is usually lack of finance. Here we have the beginnings of a financial alternative for the homeless and the unwaged, particularly for those in areas outside London where house prices are not too high and the registered rents not too low.'

Their Radical Routes network now includes Giroscope, a workers' co-operative in Hull, which has renovated fourteen houses for local homeless young people. Giroscope has set up a creche, and are helping to get a printing co-op going.

The newsletter 'Radical Routes' is available for L6 subs (L3 unwaged) from the 'Radical Routes' (the name for cheques), 24 South Road, Hockley, Birmingham B18 (tel 021 551 1679). They have produced a booklet (price L1 incl. p&p) on how to set up a project such as theirs. There are also Radical Routes co-ops in Northampton, two rural ones, and one for lesbians and gays in Nottingham. The scheme won a Social Inventions Award.

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