Co-Housing Now
Housing Co-ops offer a real alternative – with your neighbours, you are your own landlord. Your savings are protected from ups and downs, your home is your own, and you can enjoy the benefits of real community as well as a secure private life.
South West Co-operative Development has developed a new model for co-operative co-housing which converts attractive but unaffordable housing in village settings into a courtyard of modest individual dwellings sharing practical and luxurious shared spaces – gardens, farmhouse kitchens, reception rooms; but also shared EVs, renewable energy, laundry and free broadband internet.
This kind of ‘intentional community’ has long been celebrated by communards and social change activists: now we have a way to make it a practical options for people from all walks of life.
Get in touch using our contact form if:
- you are part of a group developing an intentional community or housing co-op in the south west, and you’d like to be kept in touch with others with similar interests
- you would be interested in joining an established community or a group preparing to launch their community
- you would like to join a brand new group, using our fast-track method for co-housing now!
We’ll be very happy to provide a free consultation online to explore your plans and preferences and we’ll offer some advice and suggestions. In addition, we’ll enable you to share ideas with others, meet up at networking events, and we’ll let you know where our detailed ‘How to start a Housing Co-op’ courses are next taking place.
Don’t forget that there are numerous other sources of help and support out there – Co-operatives UK, Co-housing UK, the Confederation of Co-operative Housing, Radical Routes, Diggers and Dreamers and more.
Download our presentation
A set of slides in PDF format introducing housing co-ops, co-housing, and our model for starting new projects – with inspiring case studies from the South West
THE PROblem we’re trying to solve
Building community shouldn’t be so hard
Because of the continuing crisis in housing affordability, SWCD regularly receives enquiries from groups seeking to form new housing co-ops. However, despite our best efforts the rate of success in recent years has been desperately low. There are a number iof reasons.
Too EXPENSIVE
In the 1980s and 1990s a ‘buy to let’ business model could be used to purchase a property with loan finance and then service the mortgage by charging affordable rents to the co-op’s members. In recent years, this model simply can’t cover the capital cost required for most properties.
TOO slow
Most people will accept that it might take a while before a brand new co-op has homes to move into. But keeping the founding group together over many months – or many years – just proves too hard, and so teams are always struggling to maintain focus and momentum.
Planning Blight
Some properties could work for housing co-ops, if they were modified and extended following a suitable application for planning permission. But mortgage lenders will not lend on a business model that entails planning risk; and the application requires too much time and expense to prepare for an individual property that may sell to another buyer before the permission is granted.
we can’t all be builders
The technical challenges of building, extending or refurbishing are too much for many who have plenty going on in their lives. Solving site specific problems, controlling costs and trying to balance low cost materials with high ambitions for sustainability and quality of life derail many groups.
THE co-housing now solution
A package that could actually work for anyone
What is needed is a standardised method for adding the extra accommodation needed for a viable, affordable housing co-op to a wide range of potential properties with suitable characteristics; using only ‘permitted development rights’ which do not require planning consent; coupled with training, support and preparatory research that allows groups to progress much more quickly to getting housed.
modular extensions
We have developed a design for a ‘caravan’ (which has a specific meaning in law, and benefits from permitted development rights for its installation alongside a home) which functions as a modular housing unit.
a home and a power station
By planning for new roofing to be solar PV and battery storage to be present from the start, electricity generation provides an extra income stream from the start.
Cheap and open source
Modules can be constructed from open source designs on site; or moved by road in sections. It uses very low cost materials – primarily, straw bales – to deliver housing that is cheap but meets (or exceeds) current building regulations for safety, warmth and accessibility.
we can help cut through obstacles
We’re laying the groundwork – talking to lenders, identifying suitable locations, and preparing templates for tenancies and policies. You don’t have to sign up to our package of support, but we could make the whole process run more quickly, reliably and smoothly.