GATHER INN

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Gather Inn is our living laboratory a programme rooted in co-ownership, shared responsibility, and the belief that housing should be a source of dignity and security, not stress and exclusion. It’s where we live together in cooperative homes, stewarding land, buildings, and resources in ways that promote care, equity, and collective flourishing.

London is one of the most unequal cities in the developed world. Skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages, and a housing system built for investors not resident save locked millions out of secure, long-term homes. Homeownership, once considered a cornerstone of stability, is now increasingly reserved for those with access to family wealth. 

Nearly 60% of first-time buyers under 35 now rely on gifts or loans from their parents the so-called “Bank of Mum and Dad” to get on the property ladder. Those without such backing are trapped in a rental system that transfers wealth upward while offering no long-term security.

At the heart of the programme is a new model called Equity Rent. It enables residents to build equity over time without needing a deposit or a mortgage in their own name. Instead of their rent disappearing into a landlord’s pocket, monthly contributions go toward paying down a collectively held mortgage. Over time, ownership is transferred to the residents themselves, forming a housing cooperative that belongs to the people who live there.

This model not only challenges generational wealth disparity, but also fosters intergenerational, cross-cultural communities. Gather Inn invites those who’ve been excluded from traditional property markets to step into roles as co-stewards, co-creators, and co-owners of the spaces they call home. It’s more than housing. It’s economic justice, cultural repair, and community resilience in action.

Whether through shared gardens, time-banking systems, or communal kitchens, Gather Inn is a space where people build wealth together not just financially, but emotionally, socially, and spiritually. We are building the foundations of a future where no one is left behind.

Within Gather Inn, we build intergenerational and cross-cultural communities that share resources, hold each other through life’s changes, and co-develop models of living that reduce financial insecurity, enhance belonging, and generate long-term collective wealth. From time-banking to community kitchens, shared gardens to cooperative governance, Gather Inn is where the foundations of our future are laid, brick by brick, together. 

• Reduces wealth inequality by enabling marginalised individuals and communities to collectively own and steward land and housing assets, building long-term financial stability outside of extractive property markets.
  
  
• Provides permanent, affordable housing through cooperative and community-led models, offering a viable path out of housing precarity and preventing displacement.
  
  
• Enhances economic resilience through shared income streams, mutual aid systems (e.g., time banking, cooperative enterprises), and reduced living costs via resource pooling.
  
  
• Strengthens social cohesion and interdependence by fostering cross-cultural, intergenerational living environments that redistribute power and resources more equitably.
  
  
• Increases social capital and civic agency by creating spaces where residents are co-decision-makers in the design, governance, and maintenance of their homes and neighborhoods.
  
  
• Improves access to community infrastructure (gardens, kitchens, workshops, wellness spaces), particularly for people historically excluded from such amenities, enhancing wellbeing and belonging.
  
  
• Supports disadvantaged communities in overcoming barriers to asset-building such as lack of access to mortgage finance, insecure work, gentrification, and the sell-off of public housing through cooperative, community-led models.

• Young care leavers, who gain access to supportive, interdependent communities that offer stability, mentorship, and pathways to independence.
  
  
• Disabled people, who thrive in environments shaped by collective stewardship, inclusion, and community-led accessibility.
  
  
• Individuals navigating mental health challenges, who benefit from embodied, creative, and peer-supported approaches to wellbeing.
  
  
• Older adults, who are welcomed into intergenerational living spaces where dignity, purpose, and care are woven into daily life.
  
  
• Informal carers and key workers, who receive reciprocal care and shared responsibility, helping prevent burnout and fostering community resilience.
  
  
• Creatives, including artists, cultural practitioners, and storytellers, who are given space, audience, and collaboration opportunities to explore their work in service of community healing and connection.
  
  
• Activists and changemakers, who find nourishment and belonging within a living model of the world they are striving to create.
  
  
• Environmental stewards and land-based practitioners, who are supported in regenerating both land and life through ecological practices and community-supported sustainability.