‘The soul’s been ripped out of it’: Birmingham community housing scheme on brink over costs dispute

Row over ‘landmark’ development in Stirchley has left people homeless and put businesses at risk, say locals

A housing development in Birmingham, touted as a model for community-owned housing in the UK, is at “serious risk of collapse” due to a dispute over construction costs.

The Stirchley Cooperative Development (SCD), which was founded by local residents and businesses in Birmingham in 2016, was meant to provide 39 affordable and landlord-free homes owned and run by the people who live and work there by 2024.