Cohousing allows for you to enjoy the privacy of your own home, and yet walk out your door to be part of a community with which you share common facilities, a garden, and if you choose, a regular meal.
Cohousing is growing successfully worldwide, reinvigorating with it the age-old concept of community.
Some of these communities have grown incrementally, some have renovated existing buildings to create their community and some have started from scratch. They have been built in inner-city, and suburban and rural locations; populated by ex-students, families or especially created for senior citizens – each building their own unique small community.
Shared facilities vary from community to community depending on size, location and membership, however each aims to create practical opportunities that enable the community to share experiences or enhance their access to shared spaces that wouldn't otherwise be available beyond their private dwelling.
There are times when everyone needs space, which is when each resident having their own self-contained residence to go home to, gives the balance needed for community life.
Australia has several successful cohousing communities that exist in Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, and Perth. In Denmark, where cohousing was pioneered in the 1970s, there are hundreds of cohousing communities. Cohousing has also been growing in the Germany, UK, Canada, New Zealand and USA, so there are plenty of examples of successful communities to learn from.
Information about other groups
You might also like to investigate the following organisations for more information about co-housing:
In English
- Cohousing Australia - the umbrella organisation for co-housing in Australia, where you can find information about other co-housing projects in Australia
- Nightingale Housing, who were our development partners in Hope Street and who are developing many community-focussed medium density housing projects around Australia
- Property Collectives bring people together to co-develop the homes and communities they want at cost.
- Eco-Village, and Cohousing Association of New Zealand
- The UK Cohousing Network
- Canadian Cohousing Network
- Cohousing (US)
In other languages
- Cohousingplatform - Belgium
- Bofællesskab - Denmark
- Eco Habitat Groupé - France
- Community Living Association - Forum für gemeinschaftliches Leben - Germany
- Cohousing.it - Italia
- Cohousing in Italia
- Landelijke Vereniging Centraal Wonen - Netherlands
- Federatie Gemeenschappelijk Wonen - Netherlands
- Cohousing Now - Kollektivhus NU - Sweden
