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| coho:cohousing [2026/03/10 12:37] – external edit 127.0.0.1 | coho:cohousing [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| # Cohousing | This topic is part of [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. |
| | ====== Cohousing ====== |
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| ## What is cohousing? | ===== What is cohousing? ===== |
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| Cohousing is a type of intentional community where individuals, couples and families come together to share common goals, plus the workload and benefits of living closely with others – but at the same time, those individuals, couples and families have their own self-contained accommodation. In other words, it’s a community of private homes clustered around shared social spaces. Each home will have all the traditional amenities and privacy, including bathroom and kitchen, whilst shared spaces typically include things like gardens, laundry, workshops, gym, kids play area, guest rooms, parking, shared social / hanging out areas and maybe a shared kitchen and dining area. | Cohousing is a type of intentional community where individuals, couples and families come together to share common goals, plus the workload and benefits of living closely with others – but at the same time, those individuals, couples and families have their own self-contained accommodation. In other words, it’s a community of private homes clustered around shared social spaces. Each home will have all the traditional amenities and privacy, including bathroom and kitchen, whilst shared spaces typically include things like gardens, laundry, workshops, gym, kids play area, guest rooms, parking, shared social / hanging out areas and maybe a shared kitchen and dining area. |
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| ## What are the benefits of cohousing? | ===== What are the benefits of cohousing? ===== |
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| ### Personal & social | ==== Personal & social ==== |
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| - Community: we’re losing community quickly. It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village (even if it’s an urban ‘village’) to support an adult – especially an older adult, many of whom experience loneliness and find it difficult to carry out everyday tasks. Sharing housing also means that more housing can be freed up for other people. | - Community: we’re losing community quickly. It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village (even if it’s an urban ‘village’) to support an adult – especially an older adult, many of whom experience loneliness and find it difficult to carry out everyday tasks. Sharing housing also means that more housing can be freed up for other people. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Environmental | ==== Environmental ==== |
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| - Because of the shared areas, private accommodation can be downsized, saving on cost, resources and waste. Sharing allows [downshifting](/down/downshifting). | - Because of the shared areas, private accommodation can be downsized, saving on cost, resources and waste. Sharing allows [downshifting](/down/downshifting). |
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| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
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| First, read everything you can and talk with people who’ve done it. Start with the [UK Cohousing Network](https://cohousing.org.uk/), and see 'resources' for our links and books pages. See if you can visit existing schemes – some have open days and events. You have to work out if cohousing is for you, before you jump in. Remember that some decisions that you’ve previously made alone will have to be made with other people – are you OK with that? | First, read everything you can and talk with people who’ve done it. Start with the [UK Cohousing Network](https://cohousing.org.uk/), and see 'resources' for our links and books pages. See if you can visit existing schemes – some have open days and events. You have to work out if cohousing is for you, before you jump in. Remember that some decisions that you’ve previously made alone will have to be made with other people – are you OK with that? |
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| ### Joining an existing or forming project | ==== Joining an existing or forming project ==== |
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| This cuts out a lot of work. The easiest way to find a project to join in the UK is via the [UK Cohousing Network](https://cohousing.org.uk/). There you’ll find lists of cohousing projects, some of which are forming and looking for additional people, and some of which are established projects that have room for new members. Their site also has lots more information and advice. Remember that an existing project will already have its own rules and procedures – so whether buying in or renting, make sure you read all contracts and leases carefully, especially any clauses on your obligations, decision-making and how to leave, if and when the time comes. Make sure you meet and get to know the members, as you’ll be sharing lots of aspects of your life with them. | This cuts out a lot of work. The easiest way to find a project to join in the UK is via the [UK Cohousing Network](https://cohousing.org.uk/). There you’ll find lists of cohousing projects, some of which are forming and looking for additional people, and some of which are established projects that have room for new members. Their site also has lots more information and advice. Remember that an existing project will already have its own rules and procedures – so whether buying in or renting, make sure you read all contracts and leases carefully, especially any clauses on your obligations, decision-making and how to leave, if and when the time comes. Make sure you meet and get to know the members, as you’ll be sharing lots of aspects of your life with them. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Starting a project | ==== Starting a project ==== |
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| First get some like-minded people together. You’ll be buying an existing property (or properties) or land for a new-build project, and unless you’re very wealthy, you’ll need a group of people to pool resources. If it’s a new-build project, expect it to dominate your life for a few years. | First get some like-minded people together. You’ll be buying an existing property (or properties) or land for a new-build project, and unless you’re very wealthy, you’ll need a group of people to pool resources. If it’s a new-build project, expect it to dominate your life for a few years. |
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| It may be an idea to initially start with a smaller group of 4-6 people, so that you can decide what you all want in terms of geographical location, shared facilities, cost, ownership / legal structure, lifestyle etc., and then invite more people to join the group once you know more about what kind of project it might be. These details may be much more difficult to hammer out with a larger initial group. | It may be an idea to initially start with a smaller group of 4-6 people, so that you can decide what you all want in terms of geographical location, shared facilities, cost, ownership / legal structure, lifestyle etc., and then invite more people to join the group once you know more about what kind of project it might be. These details may be much more difficult to hammer out with a larger initial group. |
| ### Legal / ownership options | ==== Legal / ownership options ==== |
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| There are many potential ownership options for a cohousing project – complicated because of the combination of communal and private spaces (models include [community land trusts](/comy/community), other trusts, [co-ops](/coop/co-operatives), limited companies, companies limited by guarantee, mutual home ownership society, commonhold, community benefit society, community interest company or combinations of these). Some may require the services of a solicitor, and some may have off-the-shelf models. | There are many potential ownership options for a cohousing project – complicated because of the combination of communal and private spaces (models include [community land trusts](/comy/community), other trusts, [co-ops](/coop/co-operatives), limited companies, companies limited by guarantee, mutual home ownership society, commonhold, community benefit society, community interest company or combinations of these). Some may require the services of a solicitor, and some may have off-the-shelf models. |
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| ### Planning | ==== Planning ==== |
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| In the UK, any site on which you might get [planning permission](/plan/planning) (i.e. that is inside the development zone), that has room for several self-build homes plus shared outdoor and indoor areas is likely to be snapped up by developers very quickly. They’ll probably want to put more houses (or flats) on the site than you want to, and therefore the land will be more valuable for them, and they will almost definitely outbid you. | In the UK, any site on which you might get [planning permission](/plan/planning) (i.e. that is inside the development zone), that has room for several self-build homes plus shared outdoor and indoor areas is likely to be snapped up by developers very quickly. They’ll probably want to put more houses (or flats) on the site than you want to, and therefore the land will be more valuable for them, and they will almost definitely outbid you. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Rules | ==== Rules ==== |
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| Before you start, you’ll have to work out rules around things like joining and leaving, maintenance, jobs, vehicles, shared access, sharing, fees, obligations etc. There may also be rules concerning consumption and its environmental impacts – for example, it makes no sense to share a laundry room if members have their own washing machines too. These rules have to be finalised and agreed beforehand, to avoid confilcts further down the line. The rules are made by the members themselves, not imposed by anyone else – it’s not some sort of ‘tyranny’, which is more likely to lie in [not having rules at all](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/the-tyranny-of-structurelessness-some-thoughts/). Once agreed, peer pressure is usually enough to ensure that they are observed. | Before you start, you’ll have to work out rules around things like joining and leaving, maintenance, jobs, vehicles, shared access, sharing, fees, obligations etc. There may also be rules concerning consumption and its environmental impacts – for example, it makes no sense to share a laundry room if members have their own washing machines too. These rules have to be finalised and agreed beforehand, to avoid confilcts further down the line. The rules are made by the members themselves, not imposed by anyone else – it’s not some sort of ‘tyranny’, which is more likely to lie in [not having rules at all](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/the-tyranny-of-structurelessness-some-thoughts/). Once agreed, peer pressure is usually enough to ensure that they are observed. |
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| ## Further resources | ===== Forum ===== |
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| | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/community). |
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| | ===== Further resources ===== |
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| - [UK Cohousing Network](https://cohousing.org.uk/) | - [UK Cohousing Network](https://cohousing.org.uk/) |
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| ## Related topics | ===== Related topics ===== |
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| | - [Housing commons](hoco:housing_commons) |
| | - [Sociocracy](soci:sociocracy) |
| | - [Low-impact building](buil:building) |
| | - [Intentional communities](intc:intentional_communities) |
| | - [Planning permission](plan:planning) |
| | - [Housing co-ops](hcoo:housing_co-operatives) |
| | - [Community land trusts](clts:community_land_trusts) |
| | - [Community](comy:community) |
| | - [Building societies](bsoc:building_societies) |
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| ## Specialist curators of this topic | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
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| * [[p:Simon Grant]] | * [[p:Simon Grant]] |
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