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October Newsletter

A very successful study day looking at the Mutual Home Ownership (MHOS) model (the model adopted by LILAC) was held on 30 September. This is an approach to financing housing which takes as its starting point the idea that housing is something to use rather than a capital investment. It supports the development of affordable housing and might appeal to anyone from an emerging group that has not yet decided the financial model to use and is trying to create permanent affordability.

The UK Cohousing Network (UKCN) presents FAQs from the questions you have been asking over the past year. This is a first draft.

Please have a look and let us know if it's helpful and how it can be improved. Do you have other questions that need answers?

This is a working document so keep an eye on it. Notice of updates will be posted here on 'latest' news.

Please send your comments to off...@cohousing.org.uk

UKCN FAQs

Cohousing is a way of living which brings individuals and families together in groups to share common aims and activities while also enjoying their own self-contained accommodation and personal space.

Cohousing communities are a means of compensating for the alienating effects of modern life where neighbours don't recognise each other and where day-to-day collaboration is minimal. They offer particular benefits for children in terms of secure play-space and shared activities with their peers. Older people can also find companionship and mutual support in such communities.

The main features of cohousing communities are:

Cohousing in the UK

There is a rapidly-growing UK interest in cohousing - take a look at our map of UK projects. There are an increasing number of groups seeking sites and many individuals seeking a group to join. There are ten fully-established cohousing communities in the UK, some having started up in the late 60s and established by 1970 before the word 'cohousing' was in use: Postlip in the Cotswolds, the Community Project, in Laughton near Lewes, Thundercliffe Grange near Rotherham, Trelay Farm in Cornwall, Canon Frome in Wiltshire, Springhill in Stroud, and the Threshold Centre in Dorset. Smaller cohousing schemes include Stroud Co-flats, Frankleigh co-flats and The Courtyards near Bradford upon Avon. All are based on owner-occupation, although the Stroud community has three shared ownership units. It is difficult to pin down the exact number of groups as they are constantly in flux. We estimate there are 25 - 30 forming groups currently functioning, with another tier of up to 60 loose coalitions interested in cohousing.

The UK Cohousing Network website is a repository of information from many people. When reading an article, note whether it has an author beneath the title. If it does, that piece is the author's own views. This site hopes to encourage the sharing of as many viewpoints as possible so we can support each other in developing cohousing. But note that only un-named articles can be attributed to the UK Cohousing Network.

Springhill photo © Alexander Caminada.

The UK Cohousing Network are interested in receiving expressions of interest from organisations or individuals to provide external supervision and support to the co-ordinator.

The contract would be for an initial 12 months; an all inclusive fee of up to £4000 is available.

For further information, please see the attached brief.

Interested parties should submit a short proposal giving details of their qualifications and how they might fulfil the brief by 22 January to recr...@cohousing.org.uk putting “expression of interest” in the subject line.