HRH Are On The Move!! Sort of!

We come into the new year bearing exciting news!

We are finally making some headway, and Hastings Rental Health Housing Co-op’s founder Sarah Gomes Harris aka Housegirl will be taking on the paid role of Housing Development Co-ordinator.

Safe to say, we’ve had a rocky old time of it the last 3 years, having lost out on a big lovely property, said goodbye to members and regained members, hired an architect, written 2 business plans, partnered on a development with Hastings Commons and Hastings Borough Council, waited a depressing amount of months for a register of interest to surface, and while we haven’t completely given up on this route, we have started some positive discussions with a new private partner and a much less bureaucratic, smaller and quicker project. More to come on that soon!

The Housing Development Co-ordinator is a part-time role for 6 months. In this time, the co-ordinator will work to milestones agreed by the co-op’s members. The work will involve liaising with partners, professionals and organisations, regularly updating our supporters, website and social media, writing a new business plan, organising meetings with bigger grant funders and mortgage providers and developing skill-sharing workshops.

How will this be funded? By you! We have barely spent the money raised during our crowdfunder, and as the momentum builds, we feel some of the funds would be wisely spent making sure there is someone keeping on top of things and rising to the challenges. We are on the right track now, with fewer diversions but we can’t make the headway needed without this level of dedicated time. To the donors who know us personally, many thanks for continuing to support us, talking through the issues and giving us pats on the backs and treats when we get something right!

Taking stock of the work so far......