Our people

Charlie entered the property industry after hearing architect Richard Rogers talk about his vision for an urban renaissance in the late 1990s.

Growing up in London, Charlie had always been mesmerized by the city –  fascinated by the way London existed as a kind of living ecosystem, given life by its seven million epic stories, chance encounters, flashes of inspiration and streets filled with music – from Handel to Stormzy.

He had trained as a chartered surveyor with BNP Paribas, working on large developments. He then worked the award-winning student housing provider Student Cribs.

But Charlie was also beginning to feel something was going awry with the city he loved. It no longer felt like the place of endless possibility. The music was drifting away with the people who had once made this city sing. 

The stories had been reduced to topics of “yields” and “asset values”. Charlie was not the only one to see the connection. In 2017, he was invited to participate in the Young Foundation’s Reimagining Rent programme, an incubator for innovative ideas to make London’s private rented sector work better.

Co-House was borne. Today, Charlie is a co-director, while also working with investors on diverse development projects.

Shish began his career working at Barnardo’s and Save the Children, where he campaigned on reducing overcrowding in London homes. These roles gave him a clear sense of how critical it was to find ways to make housing work for Londoners.

In 2019, Shish joined forces with Charlie to come up with a private sector solution to exorbitant rents that were forcing so many people to leave London behind. Born and raised in London himself the challenge was a personal one from the outset.

Shish loves his home city for its diverse communities, its rich culture and history. But in the last ten years Shish has also seen it become increasingly polarised and expensive, driven by rising rents. He asked himself: “What would a landlord look like if they could see value in property beyond maximising short-term financial value?”

Shish believes now is the right time for CoHouse. Demand for affordable rents has never been higher, while a new breed of more conscious investor has emerged. CoHouse promotes the common interest of these two groups.

In addition to CoHouse, Shish works as a consultant with investors and entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses that deliver for people and planet.

His current portfolio includes supporting the innovative private foundation Treebeard Trust to invest in early-stage impact investments and supporting investment firm Bridges to deliver social outcomes.