What is Cohousing?
Cohousing communities are created and run by their residents. Each household has a self-contained home and the community residents share some resources and activities. The site, social activities and governance are all designed to balance privacy with beneficial social interaction. The focus is on community, a neighbourhood where people want to band together, take care of one another and collaborate for the good of all.
It is a form of intentional community that has been developing, particularly in Denmark and other European countries, since the 1970s. It has been taken up enthusiastically in the USA and more recently in the UK, where there are a few long-established cohousing projects, several brand new ones and many now in the pipeline!
Some cohousing examples* from around the UK
Chosen by our members*
Name: LILAC Location: Leeds, UK
LILAC are a cohousing community of 20 eco-build households in West Leeds. The homes and land are managed by residents through a Mutual Home Ownership Society
Website: www.lilac.coop
Name: Bridport Cohousing Location: Bridport, UK
The UK’s biggest cohousing project: 53 sustainable, affordable eco-homes to buy and rent.
Website: www.bridportcohousing.org.uk
Name: Marmalade Lane Location: Cambridge, UK
A sustainable neighbourhood of 42 homes with extensive community facilities and a sociable shared garden and car-free lane
Website: www.marmaladelane.co.uk
Every cohousing project is different as it is developed and created by the residents themselves, designed for their needs and interests. Within Belfast Cohousing, two concepts are vital to what we wish to achieve as a Cooperative. These concepts are:
- Mutual Home Ownership which is a model for group ownership of the whole site.
- Sociocracy which is a process of making group decisions by consent.
- Permanently Affordable: We aim to ensure homes are affordable not only for the initial residents but in perpetuity.
**These concept are fleshed out in “Our Pilot Project” section.
Belfast Cohousing 