News Archive

Launched as part of our International Year of Co-ops 2012 project initiatives, The Good Governance Charter for Housing Co-operatives sets out the high level governance principles that will enable housing co-operatives to ensure that they are democratically well governed in an open, transparent and accountable way.

ICA Housing would like to thank the Governance project sub committee members, and in particular Nick Gazzard from CHF Canada who led the team, for developing the Charter.

The Charter is also available here in French.  Other languages will be available soon.

In this Issue

•             Sustainable use of forests: an urgent global challenge
•             Wim Ellenbroek – The Borneo Initiative
•             Co-operatives and Certified Forestry Products – Where is this initiative coming from?
•             Forests and Certification: What’s it all about and why is it that important?
•             Is certification fulfilling its promises?
•             What’s next for you?
•             Next Meeting:  Manchester!


Click here to read the newsletter or download as a pdf

ICA Housing members and any ICA members interested in housing co-operative issues are cordially invited to attend our ICA Housing Plenary to be held on Tuesday October 30^th, from 15:00 to 17:30 at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre, 70 Shudehill Manchester. The Plenary will be held in the room Smithfield One.

The key element of our Plenary is the launch of our Good Governance Charter, an ICA Housing IYC 2012 initiative. We will also take the opportunity to review our Certified Timber Campaign, another ICA Housing initiative for the IYC 2012.

Members will have a chance to provide suggestions and feedback on the next ICA Housing 4-year strategic plan 2013-2016. Finally a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between ICA Housing and CECODHAS Housing Europe will be submitted to members for their approval.

If you would like to attend please RSVP to Sylvie Moreau at s.moreau@icahousing.coop.  Please note, places are limited.

In this issue:

• Profiles of a Movement: Co-operative Housing Around the World – publication launch
• Symposium on Good Governance
• European Co-op Week - CECODHAS Housing Europe
• Visits to Kapelleveld, Floréal and Le Logis, Brussels
• CECODHAS seminar
• ICA Housing continues to support the efforts of TURKKENT
• CHF Canada AGM
• New! ICA Housing ‘member’ logo
• Next Meeting: Manchester!

Click here to read the newsletter or download as a pdf

The next meeting of the ICA Housing board will take place in Brussels on the 25th April 2012.  This will be followed by a seminar on Good Governance led by Nicholas Gazzard of CHF Canada in the afternoon along with the launch of the UK's new Code of Governance.

On the 26 April ICA Housing will join with our co-operative colleagues at CECODHAS Housing Europe to discuss the future of housing co-operatives as "a key model for sustainable housing in Europe" followed by a site visit to the co-operative garden cities of Brussels

To book click here

In This Issue

• The ICA General Assembly 2011
• GA delegates vote in favour of ICA Housing resolution
• Largest attendance at Plenary and Seminar
• International Year of Co-ops 2012
• Certified timber and other forest products Campaign
• Governance Project for sound co-op housing governance
• Publication of Country Housing Profiles
• Global ICA Housing banner
• Co-operative Development Conference 2012
• Tell your story!
• Next Meeting: Brussels

Click here to read the newsletter or download a pdf

The Board met in Cancun on November 15 for its last meeting in 2011.  In addition to the regular administrative matters and the final preparations for the next day’s Plenary and Seminar, the board reviewed the work progress and the financial performance for the year.  The review of activities is available here.  2011 is ending with a positive financial result.  Thanks to TURKKENT for its generous contribution toward the Istanbul Symposium and to CHF Canada and CDS Co-operatives for their in-kind contribution allowing ICA Housing to maintain part-time staff.  

The Board meeting was also the occasion to put the finishing touches to ICA Housing's IYC program to be presented to the members during the Plenary. 

» Read More

2-4pm 16 November 2011:  Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort, Cancun

Following up with the commitment made in October 2010 at the London Symposium Co-operatives Responses to the Climate Challenge, the ICA Housing Board of Directors is pleased to present the Seminar on Environment Sustainabiltiy and Climate Change.

» Read More

The Board of Directors of ICA Housing met in Istanbul on June 27, 2011. Faithful to its commitment to open meetings and transparency, the board welcomed several guests coming from India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey to its table.  Click here to read more..... » Read More

As an introduction to the housing co-operative sector in Turkey, delegates at the Istanbul Symposium were given the opportunity to visit one of Türkkent’s member co-ops, the Yeşilkent Mass Housing Project in the Gürpınar, Büyükçekmece District of İstanbul. 

Completed in 2002, the scheme is a triumph of partnership working as 35 housing co-operatives under the Union of Yesilkent Housing Co-operatives manage 3,200 homes in 45 colourful tower blocks. At the Yesilkent Mass Housing Project, the tower blocks are based within a gated compound around a centre comprising a pretty waterfall, children’s beach playground, local café and small shops.

Kenan Yazici, manager, explained that the project, which was founded in 1991, started by making applications to various municipalities and government agencies for land.In 1993, 200 hectares of land were assigned to them by Gürpınar Municipality.  Construction started in 1997.

Kenan explained that the large Marmara earth-quake in 1999 was a worrying time but, thankfully, the only damage was to the capillary walls on the ground floors of the buildings. After the earthquake, all the buildings were examined by İstanbul Technical University Housing and Earthquake Application and Research Center, which determined that "the buildings were free of damage and had the same security before the earth-quake".  This was due to the fact that the materials and labour used for the project, and for the infrastructure works, was carried out to the highest standard, which unfortunately is not predominant in other construction around the city.

Features of the estate include all the technical infrastructure investments necessary for modern life, all of which were financed by the members without any support from local administration.These include:

• sewer works

• rain water canalisation

• post office department channel and cable works

• water supply network

• low and medium voltage electric lines

• 7 transformer buildings serving all co-operatives

• central cablesat system

• 3.500 underground car parking spaces monitored by a special controller with 24-hour security, CCTV

In the garden areas facilities include:

• childrens play parks

• sports complexes

• garden areas

• walking-tracks

• and social and cultural facilities

The green areas are regularly irrigated and the trees and landscape areas well maintained. It is of note that, in comparison to other areas in İstanbul, the green area ratio of Yeşilkent is much higher.

ICA Housing board would like to thank members of the co-op, Türkkent and Yeşilkent’s manager, Kenan, for welcoming them to such an exemplar project.