by Edith Cody-Rice
Cohousing is a concept that might be described as “condos with heart” and a project is coming to Almonte. Last week, the Millstone sat down with three local participants: Ian Baker, Rosalind Reid and Nancy Mucklow to learn about this innovative concept.
Cohousing is well developed in other countries. Nancy said that 10% of Danes live in cohousing, the United States has over 150 cohousing communities and Australians have adopted some projects. Canada has about 30, principally located in B.C and Alberta, but also in Nova Scotia with several in Ontario.
So, what is Cohousing?
Cohousing is a concept of community within a community. A like minded group of households decide to build a project together which contains individual living spaces including private kitchens, but significant common spaces for residents: think a common kitchen/dining room, common rooms for gatherings, common play areas and gardens. It is not, however, a commune. The legal concept in Ontario is the condominium, but with a difference: cohousing combines the ownership of private dwelling with opportunities and spaces for significant interaction with other residents to create a community like a close neighbourhood or extended family. Decisions are made by consensus, not majority rule. This requires an attitude of accommodation.
The concept is quite sophisticated with opportunities for interested participants to engage as “explorers” at minimal cost. Ottawa Cohousing, a consulting company, will take an individual project and, in consultation with core members, establish its parameters and costs so that individuals can then make decisions on whether to further financially commit to the project. Once committed, each participating household is then responsible for meeting the financial requirements, either by providing cash from sold assets, such as a home, or mortgages. As the legal concept is the condominium rather than a co op, banks will be able to look to individual units as collateral for loans.
What are the attractions of cohousing?
The concept anticipates all age communities. It allows seniors who live alone or who can no longer manage their properties to downsize without considering a retirement home, sometimes prohibitively expensive, where they risk becoming isolated from the wider community. It also addresses the problem of loneliness and because a number of spaces are common, therefore not needed in individual units, there are potential cost savings that will allow young families to acquire housing equity at a more reasonable cost. The idea is that households intermingle socially, possibly sharing some meals, and provide companionship and social support (childcare, eldercare) where needed while maintain the privacy of their individual units.The growth of cohousing has meant that there are now models and communities established to which new projects can look for guidance.
The Almonte Project
Fiddlehead Commons has advanced along the trajectory to establish a multigenerational community of 15-25 households. The architect for the project will be Ottawa architect Rosaline Hill who is experienced in developing cohousing. For the Almonte project, the entry fee to become an explorer member is $50 per household. After registering, the household has three months to decide if it wants to become a core member. If yes, then the household will sign a service agreement with Ottawa Cohousing, at which point a $500 fee is payable. For that fee, the project receives guidance, training in cohousing, marketing and bookkeeping services from Ottawa Cohousing. The participants then work with the architect and a developer to realize the concept and contracts are signed directly between the participating households and developer to build the residences.
Further Information
If this concept attracts you, you may get further information at the Canadian Cohousing Network. They have a number of web events planned including an information session the local project. Fiddlehead Commons, is holding a zoom session on Tuesday August 13 at from 7-8 pm. You can read a description of the session at https://cohousing.ca/event/fiddlehead-commons-info-session/
and you can register to join at https://share.hsforms.com/1Y8QUjcX1SUqnrlB4tvjuEgd8t1u.
Fiddlehead Commons also has a facebook page.
Should you be interested in further information Margaret Critchlow, a Cohousing Author and Consultant is holding an in person presentation in Ottawa on Thursday, July 25 at the Churchill Seniors Recreation Centre – 345 Richmond Rd. Ottawa, ON from 7pm – 8pm / doors at 6:30pm, You can register to attend at https://www.communityledhousing.ca/meet-the-author-july-25-2024
Margaret Critchlow, PhD, taught anthropology at York University in Toronto, Canada for 25 years before retiring to Vancouver Island. She loved learning from villagers in the south Pacific islands of Vanuatu and from residents of Canadian housing co-ops. She has written or co-authored more than 50 academic articles and seven books. She was a founding member of the first senior cohousing community in western Canada, Harbourside Cohousing, where she has lived with her husband since it opened in Jan 2016. Margaret enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for cohousing with people of all ages, independently and as a Community Building Facilitator with Cohousing Development Consulting. Her online courses, “Planning for aging in community” and “Is cohousing for you?” have supported people to better understand what they are getting into when they join a cohousing community.
If you would like to learn more about Fiddlehead Commons, you may direct questions to info@ottawacohousing.ca
