Successful Cohousing and Mutual Home Ownership Event

Thanks to everyone that made it along to the Cohousing and Mutual Home Ownership event last night but particularly to the speakers, Neil Elliot from the Cohousing Forum, Bristol CLT Board member Steve Bendle and our guest from the Threshold Centre in Dorset, Amanda Pearson.

We explored the principles of Cohousing, what it means to actually live in a Cohousing community from rotas to commual meals, to the mechanics of a Mutual Home Ownership model.

For those members interested in finding out more about MHO and how it might translate for them, LILAC in Leeds provide a useful explanation of how the figures work for two ‘typical’ residents together with a comprehensive FAQ’s page.

More events are planned but if members have suggestions we’d like to hear them!

Learning from LILAC

The ‘Learning from LILAC’ workshop took place yesterday in Leeds and by the sound of it was both informative and inspirational.

LILAC stands for Low Impact Living Affordable Community. It is a member-led co-operative housing society, building the UK’s first affordable, cohousing community in Leeds.

A presentation has been circulated for those who were unable to attend which includes some useful slides on Mutual Home Ownership. For those members who are interested in Mutual Home Ownership, don’t forget the Cohousing Forum and Bristol CLT event next Wednesday!

What next for Bristol?

Bristol Architecture Centre is holding an event on the 7th June to discuss how Bristol should adapt and develop as a sustainable city. Considering traffic-free streets to flooding the Avon Gorge.

Introduced by George Ferguson (PPRIBA) and chaired by Paul Finch (Design Council Cabe).

This promises to be lively debate about future directions for the city. See you there!

Cohousing and Mutual Home Ownership

Learn about alternative approaches to housing and home ownership

Wednesday, 16th May 2012 at 6:30pm – 8pm

Location: Downstairs at Café Kino, 108 Stokes Croft Bristol, Avon BS1 3RU

The Cohousing Forum and Bristol Community Land Trust invite you to an event for those interested in learning more about intentional communities, cohousing and mutual home ownership. We’ll be exploring what principles underpin cohousing and how these are applied during the design, build and post occupancy phases as well as considering some recent examples. We’ll be hearing what it’s like to live within a cohousing community from a speaker first hand and we’ll discuss what challenges we face in developing a cohousing development in Bristol. We’ll also be hearing from a speaker on mutual home ownership, an innovative approach to home ownership where residents own equity shares in a mutual property trust owned by them and other residents with the number of shares you own depending on what you can afford.

Government support for self build and new portal announced

The government has recently announced support for self build and put together a useful website to guide self builders through the process and provide useful information and tips for communities to work together to develop their own homes.

 

 

Possible conversion opportunity

It may be possible for Bristol CLT to submit a bid for the conversion of the following council owned building in Redcross Street. A visit has been organised for 9.30am Thursday 26th April. Please let Anna know if you are interested in viewing it and / or assisting in the formulation of a possible bid: annamaloney@bchf.co.uk

BCLT Members Meeting: 18th April 6-8pm

Bristol Community Land Trust is holding a members meeting on Wednesday 18th April from 6pm – 8pm at Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY.

Please confirm your attendance via the BCLT Groupspaces page to help us anticipate numbers. If you are not currently a BCLT member, please contact Anna if you would like to attend the meeting: annamaloney@bchf.co.uk