At, A Fairer Society and ReThink Community, we’re leading the charge in this transformation. By introducing innovative concepts like co-housing and alternative HMO models, we’re reimagining what it means to live in a community. In this blog, I’ll share my thoughts on how these new approaches are reshaping the property landscape.

Read or watch when I caught up with David Price on the True Life Business Show…

What is Co-Housing?

Co-housing is not just a housing model; it’s a movement towards intentional living. Unlike traditional housing, co-housing communities are designed and managed by the residents themselves, with a strong focus on sustainability, shared resources, and communal living.

Co-housing typically involves a group of like-minded individuals coming together to create a living environment that fosters connection and mutual support. These communities often feature smaller private homes with larger shared spaces, where collaboration takes precedence over isolation.

And Co-Living?

The Urban Twist

While co-housing is centred around intentional communities building and owning their community, co-living brings this concept into the urban rental market, making it accessible to a wider audience. Co-living is a response to the challenges of urbanisation, such as the high cost of living, cost of housing and the increasing sense of disconnect.

There’s a saying… Lonely in a city of millions and this has been truer than today.

Co-living spaces typically offer smaller private rooms with extensive shared amenities like kitchens, lounges, and recreational areas. This model particularly appeals to young professionals who prioritise affordability and community over traditional notions of ownership.

The Key Differences Between Co-Housing and Co-Living

Though co-housing and co-living share similarities, they are distinct in their execution. Co-housing communities are often self-managed and deeply rooted in shared values, while co-living spaces are usually developer-driven, catering to individuals seeking convenience and a sense of community within an urban environment. In my view, co-housing is about a collective vision, while co-living is more about making urban living more accessible and less isolating.

Alternative HMO Models: A New Approach to Shared Living

One of the most exciting innovations we’re introducing is the concept of alternative HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) models. Traditional HMOs often lack a sense of community and can prioritise profit over people. Our vision is to change that by incorporating cooperative principles into the HMO framework. In these alternative models, tenants are encouraged to take ownership of their living space—not in a financial sense, but through governance and day-to-day management. This approach fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility, which is often missing in conventional rental arrangements.

Creating Intentional Communities in Urban Spaces

A key aspect of our strategy is the creation of intentional communities within urban co-living spaces. This involves carefully selecting tenants who share similar values and lifestyles, ensuring that the community is cohesive and supportive. The process begins even before the tenants move in, as we facilitate introductions and help potential housemates align their expectations and living styles. By doing so, we aim to eliminate the anonymity and disconnect that often plague traditional HMOs.

Benefits for Property Investors

For property investors, our alternative HMO model offers a unique opportunity. By adopting this community-focused approach, investors can reduce void periods, as tenants are more likely to stay longer in an environment where they feel connected and valued. Additionally, the cooperative model reduces the burden on landlords, as tenants take on more responsibility for the upkeep and management of the property. This creates a win-win situation where both landlords and tenants benefit from a more sustainable and harmonious living arrangement.

The Future of Co-Living and Intentional Communities

As urbanisation continues to shape our living environments, the demand for innovative housing solutions will only grow. Our vision for co-living and alternative HMO models represents a significant shift towards more humane and sustainable living arrangements. By prioritising community, intentionality, and shared responsibility, we are not only addressing the housing challenges of today but also paving the way for a future where urban living can be both affordable and fulfilling.

Conclusion

At A Fairer Society and ReThink Community, our work is a testament to the power of reimagining traditional systems. As we look to the future, it’s clear that concepts like co-housing and co-living will play a crucial role in creating more connected and sustainable communities. We invite you to join us in this co-living revolution and help shape the future of urban living.

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Click here to check out our Co-Living projects and get involved

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At the end of my life, I want to look back and say I lived a whole life. You can experience what this world has to offer —all of its community, culture, and nature—and, hand on heart, say, “I’ve also been able to give back some of those things in return”.

A cohousing community can help you design and achieve this around what is important to you and the life you want to live. It is essential to start with you.

A community is where you can be your whole self without fear of judgement. A community is where you can share your gifts and receive them from others. A community is where people create change together and support each other through tough times. Finally, a community is where people find friends who are there for them no matter what life brings.

Your gift

• You’re reading this, so you probably want to know the most important thing in life. The first thing I want to tell you is that it has nothing to do with money or possessions.
• Those things can be nice, but they aren’t a big deal in the grand scheme. What matters most is what makes your heart sing: what makes you feel alive? What do you love to do? What is your passion? What makes you happy?
• Don’t get me wrong—your gift isn’t something magical that will make everything perfect when it comes to being human. But what’s important here is that when we use our gifts well (and sometimes even when we don’t), we’re also helping others find their gifts!
• Your skills and what you are good at might be just what your neighbour or community needs. That is a gift; in return, you’ll get someone else to gift. It sounds so simple!

If we all brought our gifts and everyone knew what they were, then we are on the way to taking the load off our day-to-day life. Then, we would know who to turn to when things get tough. 

What makes your life easier and better?

Ultimately, what makes your life easier and better is doing what you are good at and avoiding the things you aren’t. Unfortunately, doing anything you don’t like usually takes twice the amount of time, and it is never a pleasant experience! 

We are all connected. But society and the pace of life mean we have become disconnected. We’re rushing around, trying to do everything ourselves, and it feels alien as humans. We are tribal. We work and live better when we are happy in our tribe. Helping others helps us feel good, and we feel valued.

You see when you show love and kindness toward another human being:

• You make their day better (and, in turn, make yours better too)
• You help them feel good about themselves
• And most importantly: We ALL benefit from this!

So how do you get this into your life?

It is difficult to answer this question in the context of your current life. It is essential first to know what you think is important to you; once you know this, you can bring value to others.

Our cohousing community programmes start with you, then the planet. Then we look at what you can afford:invest as well as location. With a group of like-minded people, you can create enormous value for yourself, others and the world by designing a community and a place to live that makes this a way of life, not something you hope or dream of. 

If we work together, we can make life better for ourselves and others. 

Join us. Spend the time on yourself first and then be part of a community of like-minded people and explore how this can be possible.

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Communities are a great way to live sustainably. This blog will highlight co-op housing examples that help people live in an environmentally friendly way while getting to know their neighbours and building social connections.

Co-op housing is a great way for people to live sustainably together.

Co-op housing and ecovillages are excellent ways for people to live sustainably together. They’re a great way to build community. And with the right mindset, it’s also a perfect way to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health.

We also love One Planet Living, an initiative by Bioregional. They’re helping people, organisations, communities, schools and cities to live more within their means. It’s estimated that we need 3 planet resources to sustain ourselves, based on how we live, so how do we reduce our consumption and still live happily and healthily?

Blending the 10 one planet living principles with co-housing and ecovillages is certainly proof there is another way.

Here are five co-housing examples that are doing their bit:

Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland

Findhorn Ecovillage is a community of 80 people, built on permaculture principles. The Ecovillage serves as an inspiration for other communities across the world and was the first to be registered as a charity.

Findhorn Ecovillage has been in existence since the early 1970s and continues to grow incrementally each year with new dynamic additions such as the Findhorn Foundation’s recent investment in solar power installations across their site and plans for further renewable energy generation systems.

Lammas Ecovillage, Pembrokeshire

Lammas Ecovillage is a community of 75 people living on a farm in Pembrokeshire.
It’s a cohousing scheme, meaning that the residents live in houses but share facilities such as gardens, kitchens and meeting rooms.

The community has grown over time from just eight people to its current size, with many more joining each year. It has grown organically because the founders set out to create something they’d want to live in themselves – which meant being open to new ideas and welcoming new members as they came along.

LILAC Co-housing, Leeds

LILAC – Low Impact Living Affordable Community is a co-housing community of 20 eco-build households in West Leeds. The homes and land are managed by residents through a Mutual Home Ownership Society, a pioneering financial model that ensures permanent affordability.

Sharing is at the heart of this co-housing community because they believe and can prove that it reduces their impact on the planet.

The scheme was designed and built using a straw bale panel system, so the natural materials enable the homes to capture heat and keep the homes at the right temperature depending on the time of year.

There is solar-powered energy created on-site, mechanical ventilation keeps the air in the buildings of high quality without needing to open the windows, plus there is an allotment, car sharing and tool sharing.

BedZed, London

BedZed is a scheme in South London, UK. It was designed by ZEDfactory architects and built-in 2002 as part of the One Planet Living initiative to help make London more sustainable. It’s a beacon for zero carbon living worldwide.

The development is made up of 100 homes that are owned by their residents, who also share four lifts and a communal laundry room (the only space shared between all of the residents).

In addition to these features, BedZed has a community centre with meeting rooms where residents can hold parties or workshops; it also has an allotment for growing vegetables for its members’ use. It’s not the purists cohousing community, but it was created in partnership with Bioregional as they put into practise their 10 principles for One Planet Living. The residents after moving in have continuously reported how their lives are better and within their community they action things that make their lives better.

Lancaster Cohousing, Lancaster

The multi-award winning Lancaster cohousing community at Forgebank consists of private homes, community facilities, workshops/offices/studios and shared outdoor space.

There are around 65 adults and 18 children. They eat some meals together, make their decisions by consensus, and enjoy meeting neighbours in a pedestrian street and the Common House.
The homes meet Passivhaus and Code for Sustainable Homes (level 6) standards, and benefit from renewable technologies (solar, biomass and hydroelectricity).

Living at Forgebank also enables residents to live a lower impact lifestyle in many ways e.g. through travel plan and car club, cooperative food store, shared meals and other shared resources.

There are many different cohousing schemes throughout the UK, and each one has its unique approach to sustainable living. We’ve chosen five of our favourites to highlight here, but there are many more out there.

So if you’re looking for somewhere to live with a sustainable community vibe, why not check out one of these amazing projects? Or take our Better Places to Live quiz and see what you’d include in your cohousing community.

What can you do to improve your life and your community?

The first step is to take our 1 minute quiz. Simply answer 9 questions to see if you need a Better Place To Live.

You’ll be scored on the following; A home that meets your needs, a community and neighbourhood that works with your day-to-day life and is friendly to the earth.

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