cohousing tcpa roundtable march 6 th 2009 sarah berger
TRANSCRIPT
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Cohousing TCPA Roundtable March 6th
2009
Sarah Berger
www.cohousing.org.uk
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What is cohousing?
A way of living consciously as a community-centered neighbourhood, 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
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Springhill cohousing
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Community Project, UK(former hospital)
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Cohousing communities are based on the following features
➲ Intentionality – set up and run by their members for mutual benefit
➲ Members live consciously as a community
➲ Designed for maximum communal contact
➲ Managed and controlled by their members Size and scale to maximise community dynamics
➲ Common house facilitates shared activities like communal meals
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Common house meal at the Community Project, UK
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History
➲ Started in Denmark in 1960s. Now hundreds in Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands & Belgium
➲ In Europe - a well established way to provide affordable housing within mixed-tenure developments
➲ USA & Canada– 120 exist & 50 more planned
➲ A sprinkling in Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Italy
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Centralwoning senior cohousing, Holland
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Cohousing USA
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2 types of cohousing - intergenerational and senior
➲ Intergenerational cohousing where older
people and families live side by side
➲ A community for people from 50 years and above. They control and manage their own lives together & keep active & healthy for as long as possible
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The Community Project, UK
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Silver Sage, senior cohousing USA
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3 major benefits
➲ Sustainability through shared resources e.g. car pooling, sustainable energy systems and shared shopping
➲ Community through creating a traditional neighbourhood, safe environment and common ownership & values. New opportunities & shared activities e.g. choir, dance club, exercise class, maths coaching, jogging
➲ Affordability – shared facilities mean individual units can be smaller & more affordable
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BenefitsDesigned for blend of privacy and active neighbourliness.
Enables :
➲ Interaction with neighbours- a sense of belonging, identity & accountability are ingredients of the good life
➲ Shared childcare for families and companionship and support for older people
➲ New opportunities & skills exchange, shared activities & shared responsibility
Example: Laughton Lodge has polytunnel club, vegetable club, horse club, dry goods shop, children's summer holiday programme, annual cycle trip to France
➲
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Benefits of the common house
➲ Share meals, have parties, film shows, play readings, band practice, concerts, workshops, exercise classes - and provide benefit to wider community too
➲ May include dining room, play room, tool pool, hall, laundry, music room, games room
➲ Office space – avoids commuting & gives better work-life balance. Facilitates economic & social benefits of business networking
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SpringhillCooking in the common house
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Quotes
“I've got play readings, concerts and films on my doorstep. Above all I love acting in the cabaret”
“The whole family have participated in activities organized by others – walks, cycle rides, camping trips and outings. I could never get them to get off the sofa before we lived here.”
“When I came back with the news (breast cancer diagnosis) within 2 minutes 6 women were in my sitting room opening the brandy. There were offers from people to stay the night, a rota to take me to chemotherapy, a rota for bringing me soup – it was amazing”
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Judging snow sculptures at Laughton
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Cohousing can halve energy use
➲ 60% less energy consumed in home➲ Car-sharing and recycling schemes➲ Communal office spaces, workshops, gym
& social activities reduces travel➲ Lower consumption including energy, land,
goods and waste➲ Average savings:
31% in space 57% in electricity 8% in goods
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References
G Meltzer, Cohousing – A Carbon Reduction Strategy, 2008 CIFA, FindhornJ. Williams, Sun, surf and sustainability—comparison of the cohousing experience in California and the UK, International Planning, Studies Journal 10 (2) (2008)C Durrett, Senior cohousing- A Community Approach to Independent Living, Habitat Press, 2005D. Fromm, Collaborative Communities: Cohousing, Central Living and Other Forms of Housing with Shared Facilities, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1991.
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How cohousing meets policy priorities
Such as in CLG's 'Housing in an Ageing Society Strategy' & 'Communities in Control' & Defra's Framework for pro-environmental Behaviours :
➲ reduction in carbon emissions ➲ active tenant participation➲ empowering communities➲ community cohesion➲ environmental sustainability➲ wellbeing agenda ➲ Public Service Agreements (PSA) targets
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UK Situation➲ 8 established cohousng communities in UK
➲ 30+ groups looking for sites & 50 loose coalitions
➲ Many individuals looking for groups to join
➲ Searching for viable model for mixed tenure or low-cost home ownership
➲ Seeking partnerships with RSLs & developers to pilot mixed tenure cohousing schemes
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Obstacles
Many groups struggling & disband after 3 years Land prices – single biggest barrier Lack of capacity within groups Difficulty in finding Housing Association
partners Planning barriers- exceptions may be needed
or sustainable, low impact, mixed-use resident-led developments
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What is needed ? Support from local authorities & housing sector
➲ Planning policy exceptions for sustainable, low-impact, mixed use, resident-led neighbourhoods like cohousing
➲ identifying land for resident-led initiatives in wider spatial /housing development strategies
➲ promotion of new community-focused neighbourhoods within mainstream housing development models
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What is needed... continued
Social housing grants & development loans
➲Resources for capacity building among cohousing groups
➲Pioneers - developers and RSLs to partner with
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www.cohousing.org.uk