New Housing Co-op Gets Green Light
CHRIS CONNELLEY
Sharon Rhodes is a woman on a mission. Hastings born and bred, she is determined to provide co-operative housing for local people in need, an ambition that moved a step closer in January when her Maslow Housing Co-operative was successfully incorporated.
This means the organisation is now legally constituted and gives Sharon the green light to seek funds and properties to turn the dream into reality.
A community led housing initiative dedicated to providing affordable, supportive living environments that foster connection and personal growth.
Part-time social media consultant Sharon is one of three directors, along with drug and alcohol worker Adam ‘Iafra’ Daniels and ex-merchant seaman Mark Shipley.
The Maslow Housing Co-operative is named after American psychologist Abraham Maslow, whose hierarchy of needs is a staple of self-development training programmes. Developed after World War II, it outlines a set of stages of human development from the fulfilment of basic physiological needs like water and shelter through self actualisation, where we realise our potential, to a higher state of transcendence, which is all about going beyond self by helping others.
With support from an angel investor, a wealthy individual willing to take a punt on a new venture, Maslow Housing Co-operative are hoping to purchase their first property this spring; they will refurbish the property themselves to provide nine bedrooms for members.
“The flagship house will provide a safe and nurturing space for up to nine co-operative members with an emphasis on informal care and support from fellow members, and these core members will work together to run the project in the future,” explained Sharon.
From this single property, the plan is to acquire a new property a year for the next ten years, with the aim of scaling up the operation to become a significant specialist player in the borough’s housing market.
The team are also planning to support their venture by opening a “community-focused cafe and event space” to provide training and development and to raise funds to support their ambitious expansion plans.
An excited Sharon commented: “This is a massive project for me that is becoming my life’s work, one which addresses an urgent need in the town and helps some of our most vulnerable residents.”
To find out more about Maslow Housing Co-operative, see their Instagram site at instagram.com/maslowhc
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