ABSTRACT
In recent years, UK policy-makers have become increasingly interested in the benefits of cohousing, seen to be a socially and environmentally friendly residential model. For older people, in particular, it can provide supportive communities for those who would otherwise be living alone, or far from support networks. But despite its acknowledged benefits, very few such communities have been created in the UK – the market does not seem to provide. Why not? This article examines the supply of cohousing in relation to the economic barriers to its provision. We investigate the role of the developer and the relationship between the developer and the residents as well as the factors that affect the cost of new cohousing and the risks and uncertainties specific to the tenure. We discuss the importance of price as a determinant of individuals’ access to cohousing and show the difficulty in establishing price at an early development stage – something that can seriously affect individuals’ possibility of remaining in the group despite commitment to it. The empirical material in this article is drawn from a case study of a mixed tenure senior cohousing development in a south London neighbourhood.
