Most frequently asked questions:

Cohousing is a form of intentional neighbourhood in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own community. In cohousing, residents know their neighbours well and enjoy a strong sense of community that is typically absent in contemporary cities and suburbs.
Cohousing communities consist of private, fully equipped dwellings and extensive common amenities including a common house and recreation areas. Most communities forge a strong partnership with a professional development team. Together they create a custom-built, resident-managed, close-knit neighbourhood that offers a healthy balance of privacy and community.
These are the defining characteristics of cohousing:
a) Participatory process: future residents participate in the design of the development so that it meets their needs.
b) Neighbourhood Design: the residents’ intention is to create a strong sense of community and they use the design of the site as a means to achieve this goal.
c) Common Facilities: the common facilities are designed for daily use, are an integral part of the community, and are always supplemental to the private homes.
d) Resident Management: residents manage their own cohousing communities, give time to maintain the property, share common meals and meet regularly to solve problems and develop policies for the community.
e) Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making: most cohousing groups make all of their decisions by concensus. No one person has authority over the others. Learning to work together as a group happens during the development period.
f) No shared community economy: the community is not a source of income for its members. Cohousing residents privately own their own homes and do not pool their incomes. The residents simply have a desire to have a strong sense of community with their neighbours and need not share religious, political, environmental or social ideology.

This is the single most frequently asked question. Yes, each residence has a fully equipped, private kitchen. In addition, the common house almost always contains a kitchen, where community members regularly share meals several times a week.

Some cohousing homes incorporate approaches to maximize affordability but so far, most homes tend to be comparably priced with other homes in the area.
However, on-going costs tend to be less than in a typical home. Reduced living expenses result from living collaboratively. For example, community meals can save money, as can other practices such as energy-efficient design and building, or commonly-owned equipment, such as lawn mowers, car pools, group purchases, child care, etc.

Residents manage the community through the residents group. Most cohousing groups make decisions by consensus, and although many groups have a policy for voting if the group cannot reach consensus after a number of attempts, in practice they rarely or never find it necessary to vote. (NB In 7 years, Springhill Directors have held one majority vote)

Cohousing offers the best of both worlds. You can be communal when you like or close your private front door and not be disturbed.

For the most part, people learn about cohousing through friends. Websites such as www.cohousing.org.uk contain links to forming groups, existing communities, open days, etc.
Sometimes a developer who already has a site will initiate a new community.
All groups are advised to contact cohousing professionals, such as E-cohousing Development Company, to help them establish the basic systems, roles and responsibilities of members.

The site on which the cohousing community is built is owned by a company (“siteco”) in which all the shares are owned by the residents. Siteco owns the common house and the common areas.
The residents privately own their own home and the plot on which it stands on a long lease from Siteco.

Most people who wish to live in a cohousing community are environmentally aware and seek to live in eco-friendly communities.
A defining characteristic of cohousing is the ability to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle through the communal nature of the living arrangements.

Answer 2

Cohousing draws people who want to live and take part in a community, to know their neighbours and get away from a sense of isolation that often prevails in conventional housing developments. Some cohousing communities create a shared vision or ethic, such as sharing resources and creating a safe environment for children.

Most forming and developing cohousing groups do not screen new members. Potential members learn about the community and the expectations for participation and decide for themselves whether or not the community will meet their needs.
To help potential member households make an informed decision, some groups require attendance at an orientation, several regular business meetings, and perhaps some involvement in a committee before they can apply for membership. However, in many Danish cohousing projects – and at Springhill – there is no formal process; would-be cohousers come for a meal or stay with friends who are already living on the site, in order to familiarise themselves with the realities of cohousing.

The sooner you join a group of intending cohousers, the more opportunity you have to be part of the planning and design. Early membership also gives you a higher priority in the order in which homes will be selected.

Turnover tends to be very low in cohousing communities. The vast majority of people who sell their homes do so because their life circumstances change, not because cohousing doesn’t work for them. Cohousing communities may maintain a waiting list of individuals who want to buy a home in the community.

It is usual for a cohousing community to have a ‘right of first refusal’ when a member wants to sell so as to offer the property to people on the waiting list. After that the owner has the right to put the house on the open market. The lease may require any prospective buyers to agree to full participation in the community.

Rental units may be included and owners have the right to sublet properties.

Cohousing residents tend to feel that common meals hold the community together. Eating common meals is always voluntary. Commonly, a team of 2 to 4 people prepares the meals for diners who sign up in advance. Each adult resident helps cook and/or clean up once every 5 or 6 weeks. Residents pay only for the meals they eat, with dinner prices typically at £2.50 (Springhill). In some senior cohousing communities, where residents are less physically able, they may pay for a local person to come in and prepare the common meals.

Each community devises its own process for doing the necessary work on common property. Some expect residents to contribute a certain number of hours per month; others accomplish the work with a voluntary system. Typically residents match personal skills and passions with projects that need attention.

Cohousing communities tend to trust the rhythms of the group, where participation ebbs and flows among individual members. A minimum level of participation generally includes cleaning in the common house or working in the gardens.

Because residents know all their neighbours, cohousing provides an excellent built-in system for safety and security. Residents easily notice someone who is not a familiar face. Cohousing parents say that their communities feel extremely safe for their children particularly since many are car free zones. Additionally, everyone keeps an eye on other residents property when away.

It isn’t essential for everyone to like every neighbour.

AOne of cohousing’s greatest strengths is the assumption that members can work out their own disagreements. Most cohousing communities use concensus-decision-making which tends to satisfy most residents. At Springhill there is a disputes committee and a buddy system aimed at resolving disputes in a way based on Marshall Rosenberg’s Non Violent Communication techniques.