What is cohousing?
Cohousing is a community that is designed and managed by its members, with private, self-contained homes and shared facilities. Cohousing is a way to feel connected and empowered, to collaborate with neighbours to live more sustainably and enjoy a friendly and supportive community. Each community is different, but all cohousing communities have shared spaces and aim to eat together regularly and look after the people and the place together, often making decisions by consensus.
Originally from Denmark, cohousing is well known in Scandinavia and Europe and in recent decades became popular in the US. There are over 20 cohousing communities in the UK, and counting.
How ChaCo works
At ChaCo, residents have self-contained homes alongside a shared garden and a common house. The common house has space for shared meals, meetings, laundry, guest rooms, play and social events.
The cooperative owns the land, homes and shared facilities. We make decisions by consensus and organise the work of the community through task groups and a monthly general meeting.
Living together
Community life is made through everyday participation: sharing responsibility for common spaces, meals and decisions; offering practical support; and getting to know the people around us.
We also aim to share resources where it makes sense, including laundry, tools and transport, while ensuring everyone has their own private home.
Where cohousing began
Modern cohousing began in Denmark. The first purpose-built community, close to Copenhagen, was completed in 1972 for 27 families. The Danish idea of bofællesskab — a living community — combined private homes with shared facilities and everyday cooperation.
After studying Danish communities, architects Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett helped introduce cohousing to the English-speaking world. Charles has visited ChaCo, and his work remains a useful route into the history, design and practicalities of community-led housing.
Resources
Cohousing is still a new concept for many people. To help you learn about Cohousing, we have collected some helpful links to websites and articles about cohousing from the UK and elsewhere.
Websites
- UK Cohousing Network — the UK Cohousing Network is a members organisation supporting communities and advocating for cohousing in the UK
- Leeds Community Homes — the local hub supporting the development of new community-led housing in the region
- Diggers and Dreamers — the home of intentional communities in the UK (not just cohousing) with plenty of resources and information about communities
- The Cohousing Company — learn about cohousing from the people who coined the term
- LILAC — Leeds' innovative, first cohousing project with a unique ownership model for long term affordability
Books
- The UKCN Practical Guide to Cohousing
- Cohousing in Britain - the new edition (Diggers and Dreamers)
- Creating Community-led and Self-build Homes (Martin Field)
- Happily ever aftering in cohousing (Charles Durrett) (free download)
- Low Impact Living: A Field Guide to Ecological, Affordable Community Building (Paul Chatterton)
- The re emergence of Cohousing in Europe (Lidewij Tummers)
- Cohousing Inclusive - a selection of European case studies
Selected academic papers
More in the Learn section
- Vacancies and membership — how homes become available and the process we follow to find the right people.
- Visits and open days — group visits, open days and how to arrange one.
- Academics and students — research with ChaCo and what we look for.