Argyle Street Housing Co-operative

Introduction

Introduction

There are essentially four elements to an application to ASH Co-op. Filling out the Application Form, attending an Open Evening, attending the Short-list Interview and, finally applying to and being interviewed by houses with vacant rooms (voids). This last part of the procedure involves an element of Waiting since the relationship between availability of voids and applicants' suitability to the void is not an exact science (see application notes).

Application form

If you feel that The Co-op is the place for you and you meet the eligibility requirements, then you should complete all sections of the application form available as a download (zip file, 269 KB) or in paper form and return it to us as soon as possible. It is important that you provide as much information as possible in support of your application so that we are in the best position to consider your case.

On receipt of your completed form we will carry out an initial assessment of your eligibility for housing with us and if accepted we will contact you inviting you to our next Open Evening.

Please note: all information contained within your form will be treated with the strictest confidence and will not be made available to any party outside of ASH Co-op

Open Evening

The Open Evening is usually held once a month on a Tuesday evening from 7:00pm and offers applicants an opportunity to find out more about The Co-op and cooperative housing in general. It also offers a chance for applicants to talk to current members to gain a further understanding of life at ASH Co-op.

Short-list Interview

A few days after the Open Evening you will normally receive a letter inviting you to an interview for the Shortlist. Interviews are usually held every other Tuesday evening with each applicant being interviewed by a panel of at least two current Co-op members. The purpose of the interview is to check whether you meet our criteria for membership of The Co-op.

If you are accepted you will be contacted affirming that your name has been added to our Shortlist. You will then be entitled to apply to any of our households with current voids. A list of current voids is available in the right sidebar. The household choose from this shortlist who they wish to fill the vacancy in their house.

If you are not accepted you will be sent a letter notifying you of this and detailing why your application has been rejected.

Waiting

If you are accepted onto our shortlist please be aware that it may take some time to find a place in The Co-op and that it may take some time before you finally find a place. It is, however, worth perservering as living within a housing cooperative can be a very rewarding and empowering experience. It provides members with the opportunity to take direct control of their own housing, a freedom made available to relatively few people.