Co-opted housing or housing co-operative? A role beyond the state for mutual housing solutions

With the growth in popular and political interest in mutual and co-operative structures this paper considers the case of housing. By revisiting co-operative history the paper provides as a basis for development the guiding principle of collective self-help. It argues that if mutualism is to play a role in developing new solutions to housing problems there is a need to develop new models in partnership with unlikely bedfellows.