FAQ

Cohousing is a process by which a group of people work together to create and maintain their own intentionally designed neighbourhood.

By collaborating with architect Charles Durrett (McCamant & Durrett Architects), the Vancouver Cohousing group participated in the planning and design of their own housing development. These steps were then implemented by our team of professionals led by Eighth Avenue Development and Ankenman Marchand Architects

Along the way, our group has formed bonds that will become the basis for ongoing community growth and development.

The Vancouver Cohousing community is undergirded by the following five principles:

1. Collaborative, participatory processes
2. Centripetal neighbourhood design
3. Private homes supplemented by common facilities
4. Resident-managed facilities
5. Non-hierarchical structures

In the late 1960s, a group of Danish families, dissatisfied with existing urban and suburban living options, decided to create their own resident-developed neighbourhood. This was created as an alternative to traditional housing models.

Desiring a community where residents knew their neighbours, and where people would look out for each other, they created “bofoellesskaber” – literally translated as “living communities.” Such communities increased safety, reduced the stresses of child care and cooking, and helped individuals to pursue their own goals while living in a supportive community. In addition, such communities reduced impact on the land and were built in environmentally sensitive and sustainable ways.

Cohousing was introduced in North America by architects Charles Durrett and Katherine McCamant in the 1980s, who coined the term “cohousing” to describe this style of development. There are now more than forty completed cohousing communities in Canada and the United States, and hundreds more in various stages of planning.

Members of the Vancouver Cohousing group include many people who have thought about the idea of creating community, long before they ever heard the term “cohousing.” Our members are people seeking to improve their quality of life, and who are interested in and concerned for their larger community. Vancouver Cohousing’s members the type of people who think globally and act locally.

Cohousing is for people who want to live in closer proximity to their neighbours for increased interaction, support, and a sense of belonging. The Vancouver Cohousing community seeks to create a multi-generational community that enables meaningful connection and relationships, allows space for authentic expression, encourages personal growth, and generates a sense of safety and belonging.

Families who resonate with this sense of purpose will find themselves at home within the Vancouver Cohousing community.

No. Our goal, like many other cohousing communities, is to have a community that is diverse in age, background and family type, that is socially, financially and environmentally sustainable. Our emphasis is on quality of life, including the nurture of children, youth and elders. There is no social agenda beyond creating a friendly neighbourhood where all residents feel accepted and comfortable.

Yes, although the method of ownership in cohousing can vary, it is most common to use the strata title ownership structure. This is the same as most condominiums across Vancouver. In this ownership model each household owns its own home and a share of the common facilities. This ownership model is quite simple and straightforward, and therefore makes it easier to finance.

One of the simplest methods to set up the development is to incorporate as a standard corporation. This structure limits liability for members, is most flexible and is the most easily recognized by lending institutions. On completion of the development, the legal status will change to allow for individual home ownership.

Just like any other home that you may want to sell, members who want to leave need to find a buyer. Because of the collaborative nature of cohousing, opportunities exist for promoting cohousing in ways other than traditional real estate marketing methods.

Members value a balance of privacy as well as social contact. It’s important to members to have their own homes and private space. A unique aspect of cohousing is that the citizen-developers participate in a conscious process of creating a community that will reflect their values.

The 1997 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) study entitled “Planning Cohousing” reported:

“While the shared amenities are integral to cohousing, some believe privacy is more respected in cohousing communities than elsewhere. The idea of a shared kitchen and dining facilities does not stem from a notion that meals should be communal, but a recognition that sometimes communal meals are desirable and benefit everyone.”

There can be more privacy in cohousing because the amenity areas provide meeting places, play areas, guest rooms and work spaces, while the individual dwelling is a place of privacy and retreat. 

Currently, the property is owned by Cedar Cottage Cohousing Corporation. Cedar Cottage Cohousing Corporation is a legal company that is entirely owned and operated by all of the members of Vancouver Cohousing.

The common house will be a “strata amenity space” jointly owned by all strata owners. It is the intention of Vancouver Cohousing to make the common house space available to the neighbourhood as an additional community space. This is often the practice of other cohousing communities around the world, and it serves to provide an additional community hub for events, meetings, activities and celebrations.

The use of the common house strengthens relationships throughout the entire neighbourhood (i.e. both internal to the cohousing group, between the cohousing group and the neighbourhood, and within the neighbourhood).

Residents of the Vancouver Cohousing community will have access to shared facilities. This “common house” includes a kitchen, dining room, guest bedrooms, bike storage, workshop, parking, and rooms for children and youth.

The shared facilities of the common house are designed to support and sustain community connection over time by supplementing individual dwellings with shared common amenities that were decided upon, and designed with resident participation.

Although individual dwellings are self-sufficient and each has its own kitchen, the common house will also have its own kitchen and dining room which will be available for shared meals and celebrations as often as members want.

In cohousing, the common facilities, and particularly shared meals, are an important aspect of community life for both social and practical reasons. That said, shared activities are always optional, and people always have the choice of eating in their own homes.

When the homes are built and the community is complete, members will work together to organize upkeep duties. Monthly strata maintenance fees will cover ongoing costs, and regular meetings will facilitate the running of the community.

During the development phase, members meet regularly to make important decisions regarding the building and unit design. In addition, they gather together socially, recognising that the reason for creating a cohousing community is to facilitate greater social interaction, and common bonds. Regular business meetings and committee meetings are scheduled as needed for member input and decisions.

The reason for meetings is to provide an opportunity for the group to work together to define its needs, and to find a way to make those dreams come true. Attendance at the meetings is a prerequisite for having a voice in the community. 

In co-ops, the cooperative owns the unit. Members purchase shares and pay housing charges that give them the right to occupy the unit. In cohousing, individual households purchase their own units, or rent from members of the community. 

Not at all. Each private home has all the amenities you’d expect of an individual apartment or house. Each individual suite will have its own living, dining and sleeping spaces, along with a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. 

Cohousing communities are the opposite of gated communities. They are open and welcoming. They have a strong connection with their host community. They bring wider benefits through a focus on sustainable living, mutual support and inclusion.

As with any other friends and neighbours, people help each other in informal ways. Cohousing communities provide friendship and support, especially in times of need, but are not primary caregivers for others’ needs. Ongoing group care arrangements will be decided by the membership. Any particular, ongoing care for individuals would be arranged privately.