If you are interested in working with Alamo, please contact: the Director, Bernard Singleton, on 020 7272 3391

ALAMO'S BEGINNINGS.
Alamo Housing Co-operative Ltd is a Fully Mutual Co-op, registered as an Industrial and Provident Society and was set up on 21 February 1992 to take over the direct provision of shortlife housing from Islington Community Housing (ICH). ICH is a registered charity and has operated in and around the borough of Islington since 1972, housing, at its height, around 1,000 people. ICH's business (the properties it managed and the staff it employed) was transferred to Alamo on 3 October 1994.

WHERE THE PROPERTIES COME FROM
Alamo currently manages about 200 shortlife houses and flats and also manages 5 permanent flats. Most of the shortlife property is owned by the London Borough of Islington, and leased to Alamo. The other properties are owned by other London Boroughs, Housing Associations and some by private landlords. Alamo pays charges on all these properties of between £13 and £60 per week.

WHAT IS SHORTLIFE HOUSING?
It is housing which is occupied on a temporary basis (usually for periods of between six months or less and a few years) pending demolition or modernisation by the owner. Property which is occupied on this basis would otherwise be empty, its condition deteriorating rapidly. Alamo gets such properties on either a licence or lease from their owners. It carries out basic repairs and provides short term homes for people in housing need. There is no guarantee of how long a particular house will be available, and residents of short-life homes have no security of tenure or guarantee of rehousing. So far we have always managed to offer people alternative accommodation when their home was due back, provided that they had abided by the conditions of occupation and kept their rent payments up to date.

WHERE THE TENANTS COME FROM
Spaces in shared houses and flats are usually filled by nominations from the remaining household. We take new tenants from referral agencies.

HOW IS ALAMO FUNDED
Alamo has no direct access to public funding - its income consists almost entirely of rent paid by tenants.

"26,068 homes were empty for more than a year in 2000."