Hello, we are Varna House Co-operative. We’re a group of Brummies who are creating affordable, secure housing in Birmingham. Our co-operative is built around principles of mutualism, community, and sustainability. We believe that housing should put people before profit, and we want our homes and our city to be a place for good living.
Varna House was formed by its members, seeking an alternative to living in substandard, insecure housing which exists to extract profit from us as tenants. We believe people deserve a long-term stable place to live, where they have decision-making power over maintenance and repairs, and can be part of their local community.
The group is currently made up of five members, including educators, artists and engineers, who are working towards social change in their communities and beyond. We have a variety of skills to bring to the co-op and to our community, including property maintenance, business accounting, pottery, food growing, bike repair, car and van maintenance, consensus decision-making, cooking, childcare and SEND education. Between us, we want to use these skills to create and run co-operative housing that is joyful, empowering and sustainable for the future.