Cohousing Co-operatives — Resident Managed Housing

We are slowly beginning to realise there is only one degree of separation in Tasmania. We were introduced to Lesli, a resident at the Cohousing Co-op in South Hobart, by a mutual acquaintance. She’s invited us to come visit and, curious to learn about this resident managed cooperative, we’ve arrived in time for the common meal later that evening. Mona (another resident whom we’d met previously) and Lesli are busy cooking the common meal, so we chat while they cook.

A number of cohousing options were explored in the Hobart area when a local resident (Ian Higginbottom) returned from a trip to the USA and spread the word about the cohousing model. The Cohousing Co-operative is part of Tasmania’s social housing and was funded under the community housing program. Anyone can apply to live here, but there are strict selection criteria and an interview process to help determine eligibility and suitability. To be able to live here you must be eligible for public housing, which means being on a low income, not owning a home and having assets less than $35K. They also favour people who are experiencing housing stress, and who support the concepts of cohousing and co-operative living and who are willing to ensure financial viability through active participation.

This is the first time we have come across this model, where a housing complex is…