Collaborative housing communities through the COVID-19 pandemic: rethinking governance and mutuality

Figures & data

Table 1. The profile of collaborative housing communities.

	Model	Year established	Tenure/legal structure	Housing typology/size	Shared resources	Urban/rural
1	Housing co-op	1978	Fully mutual of renters incl social rent/Co-op owns freeholds	Converted terraced houses (mix of flats and shared houses)/22 households	Laundry, common house, gardens × 2	Urban
2	Self-build	1999	Owner-occupation (few units let to private tenants)/shared ownership of common areas	Self-build houses/39 households	Shared garden space additional to private gardens	Urban
3	Housing co-op	Early 1990s	Fully mutual of renters incl. social rent/Co-op owns freeholds	Purpose-built flats in converted industrial block/50 households	Laundry, meeting space, six-storey open atrium with access decks	Urban
4	Senior cohousing (60+)	2019	Owner-occupation/shared ownership of common areas	Purpose-built flats and houses/23 households	Common house, laundry, extensive grounds	Peri-urban
5	Cohousing	1966	Owner-occupation/shared ownership of common areas	Developer-led 1960s housing/28 households	Common house, guest flat, grounds (incl tennis court) and private gardens	Suburban
6	Cohousing	2010	Owner-occupation/shared ownership of common areas	Converted and extended barn/3 households	Shared kitchen and external space	Rural
7	Cohousing/co-op	1992	Fully mutual of leaseholders/shared ownership of common areas	Large converted country house into self-contained flats/7 households	Two communal rooms, guest bedroom, laundry, extensive garden	Rural
8	Housing co-op	2010	Fully mutual of renters/Co-op owns both properties with mortgage	Two converted terraced houses/multiple occupation of 12+ residents	Individual bedrooms, most other facilities shared	Urban
9	Cohousing	2003	Owner-occupation as leaseholders and renters/leaseholder members of company that owns the freehold	Purpose-built development of flats and houses/34 households	Multi-storey common building incl laundry, kitchen, function rooms. Shared green spaces	Urban
10	Senior cohousing (older women 50+)	2016	Owner-occupation as leaseholders and affordable rent (managed by affordable housing provider)	Purpose-built development of flats/25 households	Common room, kitchen, laundry, shared garden incl allotment	Urban
11	Cohousing	2007	Fully mutual of renters and leaseholders/Co-op holds freehold with mortgages on individual parts	Extended farmhouse building complex/12 households	Extensive shared facilities including kitchen, living and work spaces incl. a working farm	Rural
12	Housing co-op	1979	Fully mutual of social renters/Co-op owns the freehold	Converted terraced housing/26 households	Unknown	Urban
13	Housing co-op	1996	Fully mutual of renters/Co-op owns freehold with mortgage	Conversion of 5 terraced houses/5 households	Shared living/dining space, communal garden	Urban
14	Housing co-op	1970s	Fully mutual of renters/Co-op owns the freehold	3 self-contained flats, a shared house and a small family house/12 adults + children living communally	Community space and extensive grounds	Rural
15	Cohousing	2018	Owner-occupation and renters/Each owner is a shareholder in a company that owns the shared elements	42 purpose-built flats and houses	Laundry, common house, private/shared garden, street designed to limit traffic	Urban
16	Cohousing/CLT	In devpt (completion 2022)	Leaseholders and renters/Trust owns the freehold and rental properties	Mix of flats and houses/53 households	Separate community building with amenity space, office, laundry. Shared outdoor space	Semi-rural
17	Housing co-op	1977	Fully mutual of social renters/Co-op owns the freehold	Terraced houses of family homes, shared houses and flats/30 households	Shared gardens and common meeting room	Urban
18	Community Land Trust	2016	Leaseholders and social renters/Trust owns freehold and rental properties	Newbuild houses and converted flats/12 households	Shared garden only	Urban

Table 2. The profile of interview informants.

Housing community	Gender	Age	Household composition
1	F	60s	Single
2	F	50s	Single
3	F	70s	Single
4	M	70s	Couple
5	F	30s	Family of four
6	M	70s	Couple
7	F	70s	Couple
8	M	20s	Couple
9	M	70s	Couple
10	F	70s	Single
17	F	50s	Single