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Vision

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To create a co-housing project for people in York and the York area which is a vibrant, sustainable, supportive and environmentally friendly community.

Within this community, participants will be able to live independently but will be committed to helping and caring for each other.

The community will consist of around 25 individual lifetime homes as well as indoor and outdoor communal spaces and some shared facilities. The design will encourage community social interaction, while maintaining individual privacy.

The project will have a non-hierarchical structure, all decisions being made by consensus amongst the residents.

A proportion of these houses will be affordable in perpetuity, for those on low incomes.

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 Values

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  • Acceptance and respect for diversity

  • Care and support for each other

  • Providing a balance between privacy and community

  • Co-operating and sharing responsibility

  • Maintaining a structure without hierarchy

  • Caring for the environment

  • Affordable

  • Being part of the wider community

 Mission Statement

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This project has been inspired by a desire to maintain our independence and autonomy to the end of our lives, within a supportive and caring community. We also want to include affordable homes for younger people who are disadvantaged by the mismatch between high housing costs and low wages in York.

This will be achieved by creating energy efficient, individual homes, which are adaptable and accessible as people’s needs change. Each will have its own front door and outside space, be light, airy, comfortable and eco-friendly. Homes will be designed with affordability in mind with low ongoing costs and all potential residents will be involved in the design process.

There will be a common house, which can be used for social activities and communal meals, and which will include a kitchen, dining room, laundry, workshop, office, guest bedrooms and storage.

Outside there will be a communal garden and vegetable plot. There will be shared parking on the periphery and a secure bicycle store.

Ideally the site will have good transport links and easy access to local amenities.

All members will contribute to the running and maintaining of the project through a variety of task groups and regular financial contribution.

Objectives – how much of what will be achieved by when

  1. Find members/potential residents, who agree with our vision and values.

  2. Apply for start-up funding.

  3. Draw up a business plan.

  4. Investigate the most appropriate legal structure and become a legal entity.

  5. Funding applications to fund further milestones towards the build.

  6.  Make links with potential partners.

  7.  Research suitable sites in York/York area.

  8.  Investigate capital funding sources, and loans for purchase of land and building costs.

Time Frame for completion

 

1. Ongoing

2. March 2020

3. March 2023

4. Spare Handle Ltd since Feb 2020

5. Ongoing

6. Ongoing

7. A number of suitable sites have been identified

8. Ongoing

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