Our housing co-op
We are a group of women and single mothers who have become increasingly marginalised and excluded from accessing secure, affordable and long-term homes, as a direct of impact of the housing crisis in Bristol and in particular Easton, the area we call home. Our group includes female-headed single-parent families, where the reality of the housing market means we are vulnerable to being displaced, isolated and disconnected from the support systems we have worked so hard to create. As low earning renters, our options as individual households are very limited and we are in dire housing need.
Nettle was founded in 2018 to enable us to join forces with others in a similar situation, to actively seek long-term and permanent solutions to our housing and community needs.
Our aim is to form a mutually supportive social, ecological and economically sustainable housing community as a credible alternative to mainstream housing. Although we are currently a group of four families, including two single mothers and four children, the Woodborough Street site will allow us to create six affordable homes, prevent us from being forced out of our neighbourhood by rising property prices and create security of tenure for our children.
We have proposed to develop three, three-bedroom and three, two-bedroom shared ownership homes on the site of the former Scout Hut, 61-67 Woodborough Street, Easton. In order to meet this primary aim, Nettle is working to:
Build six sustainable and energy efficient houses and apartments, meeting passivhaus standard for insulation, Bristol’s heat hierarchy requirements and achieve very low running costs.
Support the initial families to build a deposit towards home ownership through a 13-week, supported, self-finish programme.
Offer homes on a Shared Ownership basis, creating homes which are affordable, increase long-term housing security, and support their families future financial resilience and prosperity.
Develop a strong community offering support and aid to its members
We are currently updating our business plan to set out the business case and social need for the Woodborough St project, in order to secure pre-development finance.
Our members
Raquel and Iker
“Hola, we are a family of four Raquel, 50 (supply teacher for primary schools), Iker, 50, (landscape gardener) and our two children aged 13 and 9, from Spain. We’ve lived in Easton since 2013, and our two children were born in the neighbourhood!
We have built strong relationships with our neighbours, our children’s school and the local businesses and other different communities in it. We love Easton and its people with their ups and downs. We have done some volunteering in the Playhouse Nursery, in May Park school as well as in Saint Mark’s Baptist Church Community Cafe.
Currently we are renting, and we all know, how unstable the housing market is. We would love to keep on widening and strengthening our bonds with the lovely community of Easton. We would like our kids to be Eastonians until, at least, their adulthood, when they decide to leave our nest. These are all the main reasons why we would love this co-op housing to go ahead, to secure our family home.”
Sarah
“My name is Sarah and I’m a single mother to a 3 year old. I’ve lived in rented accommodation in and around Easton for 12 years and have developed strong roots to the area, particularly since having a child.
Our current housing situation is precarious - we live in a one bedroom flat, desperately in need of more space, but have been priced out of the rental market for larger properties in Bristol. I dream of providing a stable home for my child in the area where we have a support network and have based our lives, particularly as next year they will attend our local primary school.
Nettle has not only given me hope that we could have a secure and affordable home, but that our project will also go on to help others in similar situations. ”
Policy context
Existing national, regional and local housing policy is often highly supportive of Community Led Housing models, especially where they exist to directly address the ongoing housing crisis and seek to provide more affordable housing. Additionally, policies relating to Climate Change and environmental sustainability are increasingly relevant to housing and support the development of sustainable housing.
Nettle sits very comfortably within this policy context and is working to secure support from the local authority, especially local council Members, the BCC Housing Enabling Team, and Planning department on that basis.