Forming a cohousing group

A cohousing community is first and foremost a group of people who decide to create a neighbourhood together. Before there's land, a design or a dollar spent, there's a group with an idea. The way that group forms, agrees on its purpose and learns to make decisions will shape the community for decades.

This guide walks through the early stages of forming a cohousing group: finding people, agreeing a vision, setting up early agreements and roles, budgeting, bringing in professionals and keeping momentum through the long journey to move-in. It's general guidance, not legal or financial advice.

Stage 1: test the idea

Before recruiting, clarify what you want. Ask yourself:

• Where? City, regional town or rural; near transport, schools or family?
• Who? Mixed-age, families, seniors, a particular cultural or values community?
• How big? A handful of households or 30 or more?
• What tenure? Ownership, rental, a mix?
• What timeline and budget can you realistically commit?

Visit existing communities, read widely and talk to people who have done it. This helps you describe your idea clearly to others.

Stage 2: find your core group

Look for people through:

• information evenings, talks and workshops about cohousing;
• cohousing networks, mailing lists and social media groups;
• local community, sustainability and seniors' groups;
• friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Early members should be committed, reliable and able to contribute time. Diversity of skills is valuable: finance, law, design, facilitation, project management, communications and community building all help.

Stage 3: agree a vision and values

Write a short vision statement describing the community you want to create, and a set of values that guide decisions. For example, you might value sustainability, inclusion, affordability, mutual support or child-friendliness.

Good vision statements are:

• short enough to remember;
• specific enough to guide decisions;
• broad enough to attract members.

Revisit the vision as the group grows, but avoid constant redrafting.

Stage 4: learn to decide together

Decide early how you'll make decisions. Many groups use consensus or sociocracy, often with a fallback voting method if consensus can't be reached. Practise on small decisions first. Read our guide to decision-making.

Also agree:

• how often you meet, and how meetings are run;
• who facilitates and takes minutes;
• how new members join and what they commit to;
• how members can leave, and what happens to any money they've contributed.

Stage 5: early agreements and structure

Once money is involved, you need clarity. Many groups:

• form an incorporated association or similar entity to hold funds, sign contracts and limit personal liability in the early stages;
• set up a bank account with clear signing rules;
• ask members to contribute membership fees or early contributions for costs such as legal advice, feasibility studies and site searches;
• write a membership agreement covering contributions, refunds, responsibilities and leaving.

The structure for owning and running the finished community may be different. See legal structures.

Stage 6: roles and working groups

Spread the work through working groups, sometimes called circles or teams, for example:

• membership: recruiting, welcoming and orientating new members;
• site: searching for land and assessing sites;
• finance: budgets, member contributions and finance options;
• legal: structures and agreements, working with lawyers;
• design: working with architects on the brief and design;
• community: social events, conflict resolution and wellbeing.

Give each group a clear purpose and decision-making authority within limits set by the whole group.

Stage 7: budget and feasibility

Develop an early feasibility budget covering land, design, approvals, construction, finance, legal and professional fees, contingencies and the common house. Test whether your target households can afford the likely cost of homes. A feasibility study by experienced professionals can reveal problems before you commit to land.

Stage 8: bring in professionals

Most successful groups use experienced professionals, such as:

• a facilitator or community-building specialist;
• an architect experienced in participatory design and, ideally, cohousing;
• a lawyer for structures and agreements;
• an accountant or tax adviser;
• a project manager or development manager;
• a town planner for approvals.

Some groups partner with a developer, community housing provider or not-for-profit to share risk and expertise.

Stage 9: keep momentum

Long projects test any group. Strategies that help:

• celebrate milestones, like finding land or lodging a development application;
• share meals and social time, not just meetings;
• communicate clearly about progress and setbacks;
• address conflict early, with outside help if needed;
• welcome new members to replace those who leave.

Every group's path is different, but the fundamentals stay the same.

Common mistakes

• Spending years on vision without practical progress.
• Committing to land before testing feasibility.
• Taking money from members without clear agreements.
• Relying on a few people to do all the work.

Bringing in new members

As your group grows, a clear membership process helps new people understand what they're joining. Many groups have stages, such as attending an information session, coming to a few meetings or social events as a guest, then becoming a full member after signing the membership agreement and paying any contribution. Welcome new members with a buddy and a summary of key decisions so far.

Communicating clearly

Keep members informed with regular updates on progress, finances and upcoming decisions. A shared online folder for documents and minutes, a simple newsletter and a decision log help everyone stay on the same page, including members who can't attend every meeting.

Where to find more information

Cohousing networks run information sessions and publish resources for forming groups. business.gov.au explains incorporated associations and other structures, and your state fair trading agency explains how to register an association or co-operative.

Finally, enjoy the process. Forming a group is a chance to get to know future neighbours, learn new skills and build something together. Groups that make time for fun, food and celebration alongside the serious work are more likely to stay together through the long journey ahead.

Whatever stage you're at, talking with people who have lived in or built cohousing is one of the most valuable things you can do. Their experience, good and bad, will help you make better decisions and set realistic expectations for the road ahead.

Key points

Start with a clear idea, a committed core group and a written vision and values. Agree how you'll decide, set up early legal and financial structures before handling money, share the work, test feasibility and bring in experienced professionals. Expect a long journey and look after your community along the way.