Be involved in Nottingham’s first cohousing community….. 1. Background Over the past year Jeanne Booth, co-founder of THiNK and former regional chair of the RSA*, together with Derby's Lunar21, Fellows of the RSA, Liz Thomas and Caroline Stephens, have been developing ideas for an inter-generational co-housing development to provide for the needs of its residents at all life-stages. Following a successful initial meeting with interested individuals, we have had a positive response to the overall idea, and established the areas that need to be addressed, to enable this project to progress. We are now looking for help to address these areas. 2. Who we are • We are forming a group of people that are both intending to build Nottingham’s first intentional cohousing community, and to establish a replicable model that addresses the challenges. • We are also looking to get support from organisations and professional experts. 3. What we want to do • To create a mixed intergenerational site: o Of 20 to 40 households from 1 bed apartments to 4 bedroom houses. o That will deliver the needs of all life-stages from birth to death, so that individuals can stay in the community and be supported throughout their lives. o That accommodates ranges of ownership, including rental, shared ownership as well as outright, and finds solutions to savings and loans needs over time. o That uses an eco low impact approach using the latest appropriate technologies to achieve low running costs with a high quality, sustainable and adaptable interior environment in all weathers. • The overall design will promote sustainable living and community cohesion. • Cohousing means that community is central to the design, both in terms of the overall site and the design of the individual homes. • There will be a common house where meals can be shared, and common activities can take place e.g. watching films, get-togethers, group meetings, shared activities. It will include a flexible space suitable for different uses e.g. co-working, workshop. • There will be en suite guest bedrooms, so households do not need bigger houses for occasional visitors. • There will be communal gardens for relaxing, growing food, children to play, and generally sharing the space and its development. In addition all homes will have some private external space e.g. balconies for apartments, gardens for houses. • Car parking will be off street and on the perimeter of the site, keeping the streets within the site car free where possible. • There will be communal bin stores and bike sheds. • The houses and all the apartments will comply with Lifetime Homes design criteria. This refers to ordinary homes where design features are integral or can easily be added to enhance comfort, convenience and accessibility for people with reduced mobility. All the homes will be flexible and adaptable to accommodate different life stages and circumstances, so it will be easier to remain rather than being forced to move. • The homes will be warm, comfortable and sustainable with passive thermal design features that include: triple glazed windows; air exchange systems using mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to deliver fresh filtered air; water efficiency and solar energy. • The site will be within easy cycling distance of Nottingham City centre (the distance depends on terrain and cycle routes), within walking distance of local shops and facilities, and close to bus routes, tram and cycle tracks.

4. Current areas of Research There are a number of puzzles we are trying to solve, which if not addressed at the outset, can cause the project to founder. These revolve around how to make the concept work through, finding the right location, the upfront funding, the design process and requirements, how the community will be managed, and addressing the life time needs, including for savings and loans. This is an ambitious goal and we are confident with the right people and support, we can crack these puzzles and achieve our co-housing aim. The descriptions below are a combination of ideas generated so far and questions to consider. 4.1 Location • Ensure proximity to local facilities e.g. doctors, shops. Ideally close to tram. • Consider sites which may be unattractive to others e.g. already has buildings which could be converted. • Consider mixed use e.g. allowing for business / workshops, community care business • South and west locations are more accessible by cycle, than north of city, which is more hilly. Preference for Meadows, London Road, West Bridgford, Beeston, City Centre. Hucknall has train access. • How to find and secure a site? How to fund until equity release on people moving in. • What sites should be ruled out? How do we define the site correctly? 4.2 Funding • How can this be funded? How do we ensure the working capital needed to enable the project to progress until equity can be released? 60+ cannot get mortgages? Team up with short term investors – developers, council. • Grants? Help from organisations? Explore pro bono fees. Look at social finance potentially eco specific. Look at community assets. Research for loans/ grants e.g. Housing Portal, Universities • Consider ways of self funding e.g. own mutual building society. • Consider different models of ownership. • Look at the community to be formed of members who will have an opportunity to buy or rent their own homes. Build a combination of freehold houses, leasehold apartments and rented homes. How is this mix maintained? 4.3 Building process and design requirements • How can costs be kept down? How can the process be simplified? • Look out for land that may have problems, and therefore be unattractive to others. Consider mixed – use sites. Go for economies of scale. • How can we ensure the project achieves it’s design aims without dilution? Avoid late changes with construction. • Be very clear about team. Be clear about Aims, Ethos and Needs. Keep ideals and build into a social contract. • What is the best use of the professionals? Do’s and don’ts? • How to achieve the best eco build? How to get the right balance between cost and quality? Use “passivhaus” standards. Consider whole-site approach (including communal and individual homes) • How do you build in life time flexibility and adaptability? Technological advances e.g. battery energy storage? 4.4 Community management • Establish the philosophy, ethos and values of the community e.g. tolerance and nonjudgmental. • How is the community set up and managed? Day to day? Independent management? How are decisions made? Disputes resolved? Boundaries/ parameters? • The members of the community form a Residents Management company that owns the freehold and manages the communal areas. This company can determine how decisions



• •

• • •

are made by the community. Look at all residents being members. Look at extending membership to neighbouring properties. Membership process? Who can join? Properties changed hands? Moving units? Owners to be able to sell their home to another family. How to ensure that all new householders will become a member of the community. How is the mix maintained? What % intergenerational? What is the social contract? The cohousing ethos to encourage and support (but not require) members to help each other: by meeting socially, by sharing the work of maintaining the grounds and communal areas, by sharing skills and facilities, by collaborating with others on projects. What is the support needed? How are the vulnerable nutured? How can the community reduce costs/ increase efficiency? What is the level of service charges? What will it cover? How is it apportioned?

4.5 Addressing the life time needs • What is the carer’s policy? What care facilities are provided? • How are specialist needs catered for e.g. Dementia? Look at providing a care provision facility close by – business opportunity. • How is the care funded? Look at peer to peer loans. Mutual pooling of savings to enable others to take out loans. How are savings protected? • How can people stay in their own homes? How can households be adapted? • How to make it affordable? Rent? Share ownership? Look at going up and down ownership ladder – e.g. gradually increasing ownership of property and then releasing equity to pay for care costs at end of life. Look at members being able to take shares in rented properties. • How can this be funded? How do we ensure the working capital needed to enable the project to progress until equity can be released? Team up with short term investors – developers, council. 5. How do you get involved? • We are looking initially for a group of potential interested parties and experts who will: o Help to identify the principles to guide creation and establishment of a new sustainable community. o Help to explore different funding and revenue models to address needs of residents at different life stages and ensure sustainability, adaptability and inclusivity. o Help to shape the overall design of the site and facilities o Help to design the homes in a cost effective, adaptable way. o Provide the insight in how to progress a low impact residential site o May or may not be interested in being a member of the community Are you interested? Can you help in this exciting venture? • Contact us: o Jeanne Booth [email protected] 07939 405507 o Caroline Stephens [email protected] 07717 505885 o Liz Thomas [email protected] 07963 702458

*RSA is the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Nottingham CoHousing Introduction 27.0417.pdf

Page 1 of 3. Be involved in Nottingham's first cohousing community..... 1. Background. Over the past year Jeanne Booth, co-founder of THiNK and former regional chair of the. RSA*, together with Derby's Lunar21, Fellows of the RSA, Liz Thomas and Caroline. Stephens, have been developing ideas for an inter-generational ...

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