When it was first established in 1992, the group was registered as a housing co-operative, providing a legal structure and a broad set of values and principles to guide them.
This structure has endured, but overlaying the co-operative foundations is the concept of being a co-housing community, which explains the sort of place that we are.
Co-housing projects are characterised by all family units having their own private living space, but also choosing to share some internal and/or external facilities. Because Dôl Llys is a converted Georgian building, we are constrained in how much we can alter the fabric of the building, so each flat is very individual. Our common indoor space consists of two large multi-purpose rooms and a smaller one used as a guest bedroom. The grounds are shared space with some individual growing areas. Al of these things are very characteristic of co-housing communities, and there is no blueprint for design, though purpose built models often incorporate a ‘common house’ with kitchen and dining areas.
The intention is to promote a greater degree of neighbourliness than might otherwise occur, sharing of labour, resources (e.g. machinery) and creating of community links. Most are increasingly environmentally conscious and are likely to actively consider ways of reducing their carbon footprint.
Lots more information can be found on the websites of:
- The Co-housing Network (the umbrella body for co-housing in the UK)
- Community Led Homes (takes in co-housing, housing co-operatives, community land trusts, and self-help housing
- Housing Lin (specifically for older people, but mentions co-housing as a positive choice)