Arneway Housing came into existence on 21st July 1978 out of series of meetings during the early part of 1978 at the Kinsgway Day centre for homeless people in central London. The idea behind Arneway was that groups of single homeless could organise themselves into self-managing and mutually supportive communities and, using the form of a housing co-operative, using central government funding to purchase and manage their own housing. Managing the housing co-op is based upon a commitment from every member to participate in the considerable work and decision-making involved in running tenancy based owned housing Co-op.

Who was involved

Mainly the members came from those living in hostels in Westminster and discussions were held with housing associations such as Circle 33, Paddington Churches Notting Hill Trust and the Guinness Trust who might be able to supply void properties and bed-sits so that Arneway could cater from single people and longer term acquire properties with the help of the Housing Corporation to initiate development with the assistance of a number of different housing associations.

What was and still is the long term objective

​The longer term objective was to establish Arneway has a Landlord in its own right to purchase and develop housing for the single homeless and this was assisted by Paddington Churches Housing Association who offered properties in Harlesden and Willesden and then further assistance from Brent Council’s Housing Department. All these various organisations and with the Greater London Council helped enormously to establish a number short-life properties and other properties and soon Arneway became a viable housing provider and with that the Co-op applied for registration with the Housing Corporation and so funding streams were agreed and soon the Co-op became a significant housing provider in Brent