Older Women’s Cohousing - An intentional community OWCH Ltd Older Women’s Cohousing - An intentional community

Older Women’s Cohousing Future neighbours know each other Active pursuit of neighbourliness Mutual support Self management and control Active shared space

Older Women’s Cohousing Residents participate in design Design geared to ease of social interaction Design geared to ageing

Older Women’s Cohousing ‘Community’ doesn’t just happen Build social cohesion and solidarity Training in group skills Policies for living together

OWCH Conditions Over 50 any background or culture Want to rent, part buy or buy Prepared to commit to group’s values Meet eligibility criteria

OWCH Values Respect for diversity Care and support for each other Balance of privacy & community Counter ageist stereotypes Co-operate & share responsibility Be part of wider community

OWCH – Older Women’s Co Housing - have been working with Housing for Women for a number of years. Hanover Housing have now purchased a site for the project in North London, and the series of collaborative design workshops have been held at PTE’s offices.

OWCH members prepared for the workshops with a site visit, on which they took photos and filled in comment sheets.

The women then took part in a series of design exercises spread over three workshops. The first of these included the manipulation of a kit of parts to establish their priorities for the site.

The second workshop focused on access to the flats, their views and orientation, and on the group’s aspirations for the Common House.

Resulting in some important consensus decisions, and recording some remaining varieties of opinion

In the third workshop the group got down to examining the implications of the decisions made so far, and the direction of travel, on the layout of individual flats. Each group used the same template, allowing the results to be compared across the groups

Having looked at the specifics of flat layouts, the group turned back to the larger scale of discussion about forms and materials using the mood boards to which everyone had been encouraged to contribute during the process.

Work in Progress Option 1 Little Houses: a collection of like-minded individuals

Work in Progress Option 2 An expression of the ethos of the group: the Crescent scheme

Working with Co-Housing Groups Collaborative working The principals of co-housing are to engage and be inclusive Meet the requirements of the co-housing principles A model of housing for older people Promote and offer wider options and choice Carry out focused market research Working with co-housing groups in London, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and other locations Slide 1 Hanover has been working with a number of Co-Housing groups to look at the opportunities in developing mixed co-housing schemes across the country, which we hope will become a model of housing for older people. This model will meet the requirements of the co-housing principles and Hanover hopes to gain expertise in collaborative working with co-housing groups in order to promote and offer wider choice and housing options for older people. This partnership also offers an opportunity to carry out market research on the housing aspirations and needs with focused groups. The further development and delivery of co-housing projects is a corporate objective for Hanover and we are currently working with co-housing groups in London, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and other locations. Hanover and the co-housing groups are currently looking at the engagement and partnership working protocols and principles. Whilst there are similarities and common principals in these agreements, each one is unique and different to meet individual group requirements.

Scheme Development Co-operation at all levels of the development process Schemes vary in size to fit individual and local needs A detailed cost plan is then produced once the final design The property values are dependant on the final costs Rent are mostly being set to meet local Social rent levels The Service Charge is set and agreed during the feasibility stages Hanover using expertise and experience to procure and deliver schemes The management models are being developed Slide 2 The principals of co-housing are to be inclusive and to engage with all parties, promoting engagement and co-operation at all levels of the development process and an example of this is in the design workshops. These are group centred with consultants and members contributing fully to the design from concept through to final agreed design drawings. The overall schemes will vary in size to fit individual and local needs but currently consist of a mixture of dwellings sizes 1, 2 and 3 bed and tenures including rented, shared ownership and outright sales. A detailed cost plan is then produced once the final design has been agreed and Hanover will be using our expertise and experience to procure and deliver the final scheme. In all the current projects the final property values for the dwellings to be sold to the Co-Housing groups are dependant on the final scheme costs. Rent are mostly being set to meet local Social rent levels and the Service Charge is set out for discussion and agreement during the feasibility stages. The management and running of the finished scheme will also vary and models are being developed which include the groups, as well as others were Hanover and other organisations, such as Housing for Women, will be involved in these areas.

What Hanover can offer Our partnership approach to delivering housing. Liaising with the local authority, Enabling, Adult Care, Housing and Planners Our status with the HCA Development expertise Financial appraisal Expertise and experience of delivering Housing and Services for older people. Corporate commitment to delivering co-housing schemes Slide 3 What Hanover can offer: • Our partnership approach to delivering housing. • Liaising with the local authority, Enabling, Adult Care, Housing and Planners • Our status with the HCA • Development expertise • Financial appraisal • Expertise and experience of delivering Housing and Services for older people. • Corporate commitment to delivering co-housing schemes