Meet The Man Reshaping Co-Living And Housing Domestic Violence Victims

Jermaine Browne does not fit the mould of the typical property company founder, and he is not building the typical property company.

As well as developing, repositioning and operating a new generation of co-living and student schemes alongside well-known private equity firms like Crosstree Real Estate, Browne's company, re:shape, is offering accommodation to victims of domestic violence, providing space for underserved communities and inspiring young people to improve their lives.

“When I was younger, I was living on a council estate that was subject to one of English Partnerships’ regeneration projects, and I saw firsthand how regeneration and renewal of an environment can boost the morale, confidence and wellbeing of a community,” he said.

Browne has a message for the property industry when it comes to how building owners can impact people’s lives and provide shelter or space for those in need: The sector can do a lot of good with just a small fraction of the big profits it makes.

Having grown up in Oldham, 9 miles from Manchester in the north west of England, it was seeing the impact regeneration of his estate had on the local community that first inspired Browne to go into the property industry.

“A lot of the housing stock was in a really bad condition, but improving the quality of the housing and the public realm restored pride in the community and gave people a platform to move out of deprivation,” he said.

Though large-scale regeneration of housing estates are sometimes unsuccessful or controversial, in this case none of the original residents were relocated or displaced, as often happens with such major schemes, Browne said. That meant the original residents benefited from the improvements to the built environment, and the community remained intact.

A module in his university sociology degree on urban sociology solidified Browne's conviction to work in property and regeneration, and he moved into the planning sector, working in his hometown planning department at Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and, later, for several London boroughs.

He first went into the private sector at Savills before moving to The Collective, the co-living pioneer that went into administration in September 2021. After securing eight planning permissions for the company, Browne started his own firm on the premise that the biggest hurdle for investors and private equity firms wanting to enter the co-living sector was securing planning consents for sites, managing development and operating completed buildings.

Previously, The Collective was the main player in the sector.

In 2020, Browne founded re:shape alongside former Collective colleague Charlie Gaynor. The company currently has two schemes, with more in the pipeline: The Woolwich Catholic Club in Greenwich, south east London, a 298-bed student scheme where it has secured planning and is working alongside Hurlington Capital and a Swiss family office; and ARK Wembley, a 300-bed co-living scheme, which is now open and operational in Wembley, north London. ARK is a co-living brand re:shape co-owns with Crosstree.

The ARK project was originally designed and built as a hotel that would be operated by international brand Cityden, but re:shape identified the possibility of converting it to co-living, teaming up with Crosstree as the investor to buy it from the family office that owned it. The duo are looking at further deals together, Browne said, including the prospect of converting other hotels to co-living. Zones 2-5 of the London transport network offering the best prospects, areas with established populations and plenty of local amenities.

Browne describes ARK Wembley as the “second generation” of co-living, taking what The Collective did well and altering elements he feels didn’t work. That includes bigger rooms and not as many staff to make the model more profitable. 

Residents can stay from two nights to 12 months, and rooms include a kitchenette, shower, bed, small seating area and storage space. The scheme offers a coworking space, a gym and wellness studio, design-led communal kitchens and living rooms, and a roof terrace, all included in the price. Cleaning and utility bills are included, a vital part of keeping the scheme as affordable as possible at a time of high energy prices, Browne said.

Studios start from £1,499 a month. The company looks to price its rooms at around 25%-30% less than purpose-built build-to-rent schemes in the local area, with shorter stays priced dynamically according to demand in the same way as a hotel. 

The company hopes to provide the conviviality and counter to loneliness that is part of the philosophy of co-living.

“I’m from up north, where everyone is in and out of each others houses and putting the kettle on,” Browne said. “When I first came to London, it was so different. You don’t know your neighbours, and people don’t talk to each other even when you’re in a narrow corridor.”

At the same time, there’s recognition that pushing communality on people doesn’t work. That's why rooms are as large as possible and residents are not forced to share kitchens and bathrooms. The most common room size at ARK Wembley is 226 SF.

The scheme opened earlier this year, offering a mix of short- and long-stay rooms, with occupancy about 85%-90%. 

Re:shape is looking to establish a profitable and growing business in the thriving living sector, but Browne is adamant this aim doesn’t conflict with his goal of providing a positive social impact.

“We’re a company with a social conscience, and that runs through every decision we make,” he said. “I think over the past decade or two, developers haven’t pushed the boundaries enough to make sure they make a difference with what they build. It can be something as simple as an open-door policy.”

Local community groups, particularly youth groups like the Brent Youth Foundation, are given access to the facilities at ARK Wembley. The ground floor is open to the public, and local SMEs can use the workspace and take advantage of free internet access. The company also has a community investment programme.

This open door policy can help foster social mobility, Browne said. 

“It gives people a sense of pride, and when people go into a beautiful area it gives them a sense of, 'People live like this, I want to live like this, too, and I can.'"

The company also works with a local domestic violence charity to offer free beds to victims, with people often able to stay for five to 10 nights until long-term safe accommodation is found. Young people in local apprenticeship schemes are also given discounts on accommodation.

Browne broke down the economics on why it is eminently possible for residential owners to offer beds to those that need them, and why the industry more broadly should be following suit. 

“Like any hospitality company we have voids, and we can programme to fill them,” he said. “If I have someone subject to domestic violence staying in one of our rooms, the cost to me is £70-£80 to clean the room. We can have 100 of those guests, or I can spend £7K on an advert saying what a great social impact I have. Just get it done on the ground.”

Browne said the company is working with consultants to push policymakers to change planning regulation and include a requirement for developers to include a community impact statement in applications for new developments.

Beyond political pressure, Browne thinks the real estate sector has the finances and, as importantly, the asset base to make a real difference in people’s lives. 

“I want this to snowball,” he said. “Real estate is a big business, and if a company is well run, it makes good profits. There is money there that can be allocated to this. It is getting louder, there is a lot of discussion about ESG. Everyone has vacancies. I don’t see why other people can’t do it.”