What is cohousing?
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:
- They are set up and run by their members for mutual benefit
- Members are consciously committed to living as a community
- Developments are designed to encourage social contact and a sense of neighbourhood among members.
- Common space facilitates shared activities like community meals and other amenities like laundries, heating systems, guest rooms, transport, etc may be shared
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 eight fully-established cohousing communities in the UK: Springhill in Stroud, the Community Project in Laughton, near Lewes, Thundercliffe Grange near Rotherham, Canon Frome in Wiltshire 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.
To find out more, to register with us, and learn what this site can do for you, click here...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.
Pathfinder Local Authorities Sought
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 19:34 — adminThe HCA wants to identify six local authorities to pilot forms of mutual and cooperative housing. Cohousing clearly falls into this category. If you have any contacts who are sympathetic to the cohousing sector and its development please let Nic Bliss know. Nic is the convenor of Mutual and Cooperative Housing Sector Group.
email: n...@cch.coop (Click on the 3 dots before the @ to get the full e-mail.)
Lancaster Eco-housing Gets Go-Ahead
Tue, 07/27/2010 - 15:17 — adminMembers of local community group Lancaster Cohousing are celebrating after Lancaster City Council’s planning committee approved their plans to redevelop a 2.5 hectare derelict site by the River Lune at Halton, near Lancaster, to provide 40 new private homes, shared indoor and outdoor space and managed business space. The cohousing group is a mix of individuals, couples and families of all ages whose aim is to build eco-homes of a cutting edge sustainable design and create a friendly, supportive neighbourhood.
Call to forming cohousing groups to provide information for HCA
Mon, 07/26/2010 - 17:38 — adminIf your group seeks or has sought funds from the HCA for your cohousing proposal please complete the attached form. The HCA wishes to track emerging groups and understand what support might be needed. This information is important for the development of the cohousing sector.
Speeding the Growth of Mixed-tenure Cohousing, 22nd July - report to follow
Fri, 07/23/2010 - 15:20 — adminUK Cohousing Network announces its latest event, supported by NESTA -
Speeding the Growth of Mixed-tenure Cohousing
There has been a recent surge of interest in cohousing from housing providers, local and national government and the public. This important meeting provides a forum to discuss the next steps needed to take affordable cohousing from vision to reality. The programme will:
- describe recent developments in mixed tenure cohousing
- provide an update on partnerships between RSLs and cohousing groups
- explore the implications of emerging government policy for local housing trusts and the self-organised housing sector for future cohousing developments.
A detailed programme will be sent to those registering.
Speakers will include:
- Stephen Hill, RICS, Director, C2O futureplanners
- Dinah Roake, Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)
- Sarah Berger, UK Cohousing Network
- Alan Heeks, Threshold Centre & Bridport Cohousing
- Bruce Moore, CEO, Hanover Housing
- Synergy Housing
- Lifetime Community (senior cohousing group)
- Berkshire Cohousing
- Viridian Housing
Who Should Attend?
This event is designed for professionals in housing policy and practice and should be of particular interest to registered social landlords and other housing providers contemplating cohousing.
Tickets
Tickets for this meeting cost £15. Places are limited so people must register and pay here. Those who have already expressed an interest in the event must register and pay here.
Cohousing is a way of living which brings individual households together to share and manage common aims and facilities while also enjoying their own self-contained accommodation and personal space. Originating in Scandinavia forty years ago the main features of cohousing communities are: they are set up and run by their members for mutual benefit; members are consciously committed to living as a community; developments are designed to encourage social contact and a sense of neighbourhood among members; common space facilitates shared activities like communal meals and other amenities like laundries, heating systems, guest rooms and transport.
Prospect Co-housing: One year on.
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 19:50 — richardJProspect Co-Housing has been meeting in Devon roughly once a month since June 2009, including 2 new members meetings and hiring a hostel for the weekend.
There are now 7 Full members, 5 Potential members and 2 Associate members plus lots of Friends of Prospect
The age range of Full members is 23-66 (average age 51) plus 2 young children and 1 dog
We have made contact with planning and financial consultants. In the process we have learned a lot about the planning system, more or less decided on a legal and financial structure and are in the process of writing a business plan.
More people enthusiastically sign-up to live in LILAC
Tue, 07/13/2010 - 19:06 — AlanA new wave of people have signed-up to definitely live in the LILAC cohousing development. Amanda, Jenny, Elinor, Brenda, Clive, Sarah and Robin are all new members. It is great to have more people on-board committed to making LILAC happen and being part of the design process. 8 of the 20 households are now confirmed. We also have some new “prospective members” who are very seriously considering joining up.
Frome cohousing update
Sat, 07/10/2010 - 17:03 — adminWe have held several further meetings and now have created a CIC to provide an organisational framework as we start discussions with our town and district councils and planners, and with developers, land owners and estate agents. We plan further meetings to get to know each other better and increase our knowledge about setting up co housing communities and welcome enquiries from all those outside of our community who might be interested in coming to help us create co housing in Frome – which we think is a very nice place to do it – and there are lots of like minded souls here already.
For further information contact Tim Cutting: t...@cutting-energy.co.uk (click on 3 blue dots for full email.)
Rr look at our section on the forum pages of Sustainable Frome at our website, www.sustainablefrome.org.uk
LILAC's architects start designing the homes of the future
Fri, 07/09/2010 - 19:12 — AlanLILAC have appointed White Design as our architects to design our neighbourhood. They have quickly started an exciting process of workshops with the members and provisional members.
