Speeding the growth of mixed-tenure cohousing 22 July 2010 Cohousing at home and abroad

My story I've lived at The Community Project cohousing in Sussex for last 11 years. Didn't want to grow old on my own I have a rich social and cultural life closely interwoven with others living here I'm the envy of many of my friends Want to pass on the baton to others

Common house meal at The Project, Laughton

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

Features of cohousing - Self contained dwellings with shared facilities - Intentional neighbourhood design - Participatory development process - Resident Management

Springhill

History of Cohousing Started in Denmark in 1960s. Now hundreds in Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands & Belgium Europe - well established way to provide affordable housing within mixed-tenure developments USA & Canada – mainly home ownership. 120 exist & 50 more planned A sprinkling in Japan, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia & elsewhere

Current situation in UK 40 + groups seeking sites Many individuals seeking group to join 10 established cohousing projects Another tier of up to 60 loose coalitions 5000 hits on our website last month Public and media interest

Threshold Centre, Dorset: mixed tenure cohousing

Obstacles Land prices – single biggest barrier Lack of capacity within groups Difficulty in finding HA partners Planning barriers

Partnerships Need to develop partnerships with developers and housing associations Commonplace in Europe & USA Advantages - more likely to succeed - get built quicker & often at less cost But need professional cohousing infrastructure to broker partnerships

International cohousing contacts Last 3 years Network had extensive contact with cohousing professionals & communities in USA & Scandinavia Mark Westcombe – 3 rd visit to USA a month ago Me - 3 week study tour in Sweden and Denmark in May Some personal observations follow....

Swedish cohousing 45 cohousing schemes, mainly urban Result of civil society campaigns and support from public housing authorities during the 1980s. Last 20 years - abolition of subsidies & ideological shift to private market. Right to buy & sell out of public housing stock. ( Sweden & Denmark)‏ Recent resurgence - a trend towards collaborative housing – 6 new schemes built in last 5 years & more are on their way

Swedish model – low-rise flats Mainly blocks of flats Some new-build, others conversion from existing residential blocks Cheaper and easier & less risk for housing companies - can easily convert back to conventional housing Communal facilities on ground floor and basement with individual units on the upper floors. Sometimes a communal roof patio

Regnebagen, Lund, Sweden

Russinet, Second half of life cohousing, Lund, Sweden

Slottet, intergenerational cohousing (retrofit) Lund, Sweden

Size of units Average size of individual homes in cohousing in Sweden and Denmark seem small So as to keep them affordable Exceptions to planning requirements allowed because of the communal space available

Size of units (con't) The senior cohousing units I visited were small but beautifully designed & worked well But several family units in intergenerational housing seemed rather overcrowded However, often long waiting lists show units are very sought after Some residents said they needed more space, but said they adapted because so keen to stay

Examples of unit sizes BoActive Landgangen: 'second half of life' (senior) cohousing project in Malmo, Sweden, built in one bed unit = 58 sqm - two bed unit = 70 sqm Tre Portar, intergenerational scheme in Stockholm - three bed unit = 87sqm - four bed unit = 97 sqm

TrePortar – intergenerational cohousing, Stockholm

BoActive Landgangen - 2 nd half of life cohousing, Malmo

Denmark 350 cohousing units for senior citizens with 6000 residents 140 intergenerational cohousing schemes Residents typically give up part of own housing area to the common areas – thus reducing construction Costs Most new cohousing units are terraced or cluster houses built around a common area with common house centrally positioned.

Absolons, Roskilde, Denmark

Kilen, intergenerational cohousing, Osterhoy, Denmark

Kilen

Ahusane, Roskilde, Denmark

Munksogaard, Denmark: cluster of 5 mini-cohousing schemes Eco/village cohousing scheme comprising: - 5 cohousing clusters - 10 years old, 100 units, 250 residents - 40 owned, 60 rented The clusters are: - senior rented - young people rented - intergenerational owner occupiers - intergenerational shared ownership ( % owned with mortgage, rest in rent)‏ - intergenerational rented

Munksogaard, intergenerational owner occupier

Munksogaard intergenerational rental

Munksogaard, owner occupier common house dining room

Munksogaard, 2 bed unit, intergenerational rental

Lessons Facilities & structure for communal eating essential Positioning intergenerational & senior cohousing in clusters or adjacent works well Include cohousing features in masterplanning big estates (cf Munksogaard & Egebjerg in Denmark) Support from committed housing professionals & leadership from enlightened municipal housing authorities can really make a difference