Understanding Cooperative Housing
What it is.
Cooperative housing builds a sense of belonging and attempts to overcome the alienation of modern housing, where few people know their neighbours and there is little sense of community. Future residents of cooperative housing developments are integral to the design and development of the community. Cooperative housing combines the autonomy of compact self contained private dwellings with the benefits of shared, spacious community amenities that typically include a large dining room, kitchen, recreation spaces, meeting rooms, children’s play spaces, guest rooms, workshops and gardens
What it is not.
Cooperative housing does not require residents to believe in any particular belief system or religion. Cooperative housing is not for one particular kind, type, or category of person; it is based on the belief that living in community benefits everyone, and that everyone is welcome. Cooperative housing is not just for young people, or older people, it is for all ages and life stages.
Why Does Cooperative Housing make so much sense?
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Values driven intent to maximizes privacy and community for mutual benefit has resulted in communities that are geared towards fulfillment, vitality and life-long learning.
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Pooling resources cuts costs and reduces need for individual investment.
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Conscientious design ensures residents have secure communal space to socialize and play in.
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Living close to the people, activities and services most important to us improves our quality of life.
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A strong sense of community aids in decreasing loneliness and isolation while improving the quality of one’s life.
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Good location, great design, and community intent leads to a reduction in transportation, energy, food, and water waste.
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Residents manage their own housing and community needs.
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Supports all kinds of families, reduces social isolation, and promotes aging in place.
Cooperative Housing Explained Video
Cooperative Housing Resources
Regen Villages
Located in the Netherlands Regen Villages have caught the imagination of the sustainable building community. There is a focus on food production and self-sufficient energy and waste management systems, in this 100 home eco-village.
BedZed
The UK’s first large scale, mixed us eco village with 100 homes, office spaces, a college, and other community facilities.
The Mount
The dream was built around four pillars of service in response to the needs of the area. The first was the construction of about 80 apartments over time in the light of the critical need for housing in the Peterborough area. The first 43 apartments are now completed and rented, and the last three tenants are moving in over the next month. Plans are already underway for a further 30 – 40 apartments to be constructed within the building.
Canadian Cohousing Network
The Canadian Cohousing Network (CCN) is a registered non-profit organization that promotes the creation of cohousing communities as a model for sustainable development by raising public awareness about cohousing and by bringing people together to form communities.
The Cohousing Company
In 1985, Kathryn McCamant & Charles Durrett coined the term “cohousing” for a Danish concept they spent considerable time learning about in Denmark. Since that time, McCamant (who is now CoHousing Solutions) and Durrett have worked with groups to create high functioning neighborhoods in the United States and Canada. The Cohousing Company has designed over 50 cohousing communities, and there are over 150 active and forming cohousing communities (the numbers are growing) to date.
CohoUS
The Cohousing Association of the United States is a national nonprofit supporting cohousing communities in changing our world. Spreading the word about cohousing shifts the culture toward a new American dream where every home is surrounded by caring, collaborative neighbors who use less of the earth’s resources while living an abundant life.
Cohousing, a Way of Living Together
Our population and our cities are growing. How will we handle our needs for sustainable housing? Here is one solution... In this talk Eef Tanghe explores the widely varying benefits of living together in more tightly knit co-housing communities. Eef Tanghe is a manager for Cohousing Projects, a cooperative that supports people to build their own cohousing community in Flanders.
