Wales Cooperative Centre – wellbeing project

Evidencing the benefits to wellbeing of living in community-led housing.

---

Why we funded this project

This research was funded to provide evidence of the health, wellbeing and wider benefits derived from living in community-led housing. This evidence is now being used to promote this housing model, which should lead to an increase in demand and provision.

Strategic purpose

This research supported the Backing Community-Led Housing programme as a way of increasing delivery of homes for people in need. It highlighted the additional advantages of community-led housing over and above addressing housing need.

Project description

Wales Co-operative Centre’s research, Assessing the Potential Benefits of Living in Co-operative or Community-Led Housing, was launched in November 2019 and provided evidence to underpin arguments in favour of greater use of the co-operative and community-led (CCLH) model, both in Wales and across the United Kingdom.

The report revealed a considerable positive impact, including residents experiencing:

• less isolation and loneliness
• a feeling of improved mental wellbeing and happiness
• increased skills and confidence
• increased employability
• a feeling of having more control.

Alongside this project, the Nationwide Foundation also approved £675,242 in funding for the Wales Co-operative Centre’s Communities Creating Homes project, which was jointly funded by the Welsh Parliament.

Wales Cooperative Centre

Back to funding 2016–present