To strengthen the cooperative housing society movement in India, the National Cooperative Housing Federation of India (NCHF) was established in 1969. The main responsibility of this national organisation, is to act as a promoter, developer and coordinator, to boost cooperative housing works in India. The efforts of the body have been visible in the form of an increase in the number of apex cooperative housing federations across the country from a mere six, prior to the inception of the NCHF, to 26, now.
Apart from coordinating among various ministries and central and state government bodies, including the Reserve Bank of India, the National Housing Bank, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, the Life Insurance Corporation of India, the National Buildings Organisation, the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council, the Central Building Research Institute, the National Cooperative Union of India and the National Council for Cooperative Training, to strengthen the cooperative housing movement in India, the NCHF also organises training programmes for apex cooperative housing federations and housing cooperatives.
Objectives of the NCHF
The official portal of the body lists its several objectives namely:
- To provide a common forum, to deal with financial, technical and practical problems of housing cooperatives and to devise methods to solve it.
- To promote/publicise the cooperative housing movement, through the publication of news bulletins, periodicals and journals and to exchange statistics and information related to cooperative housing.
- To coordinate and guide housing cooperatives, with respect to planning, construction, etc., of houses and to provide expert advice/services for this purpose.
- To promote apex cooperative housing federations in states where such organisations do not exist.
- To organise education, training and information programmes for the directors, members, employees and other personnel of housing cooperatives.
- To organise seminars, conferences, conventions, working groups, as well as research work, relating to cooperative housing and allied matters.
See also: All you need to know about Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO)
NCHF model building bye-laws
The NCHF has also prepared the ‘Model Bye-laws and Subsidiary rules of Primary Housing Cooperatives’, to facilitate the smooth and efficient functioning of housing cooperatives. States have tweaked their laws, to make them conform to the norms, as prescribed in the model provided by the NCHF.
See also: What are building bye-laws?
For this purpose and for the benefit of the general public, the NCHF’s booklet on ‘Best Practices in Housing Cooperatives’ highlights the activities and achievements of some successful housing cooperatives functioning at the state, district and primary levels, besides providing an overview of the cooperative housing movement.
Sources of funds for apex cooperative housing federations according to NCHF
The sources of funds for such federations are:
- Investment in share capital by primary cooperative housing societies, state governments and other cooperative institutions.
- Loans from the government, Life Insurance Corporation of India, National Housing Bank, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, commercial and cooperative banks, etc.
- Issue of debentures guaranteed by the government.
See also: All you need to know about National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC)
FAQs
What is a housing cooperative?
A housing cooperative is a legally incorporated group of persons, generally of limited means, that aims to fulfill the common need of housing or its improvement, through mutual assistance. Membership to such a cooperative is voluntary. The cooperative functions in a democratic manner and its members make an approximately equal contribution to its capital.
What are the basic characteristics of housing cooperatives?
The basic characteristics of housing cooperatives include: Open and voluntary membership; Democratic control by residents; Limited return on membership investment; Provision of services beyond the supply of housing, to a wide range of community services; Emphasis on self-help and cooperative action.
How many members are required to form a cooperative housing society?
At least 10 members are needed, to form a cooperative society.