{"id":56699,"date":"2020-12-18T14:32:59","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T14:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=56699"},"modified":"2020-12-18T15:58:52","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T15:58:52","slug":"inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside cohousing, the movement set to disrupt housing in Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advocates say cohousing can fight loneliness, reduce consumption and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. But will it catch on in Cardiff?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Red houses from Duwamish Cohousing in Seattle, USA\" class=\"wp-image-56911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-2048x1024.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1920x960.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1500x750.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1400x700.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Red houses from Duwamish Cohousing in Seattle, USA\" class=\"wp-image-56911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-2048x1024.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1920x960.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1500x750.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-1400x700.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Cohousing is popular in Northern Europe and parts of North America, but is yet to fully catch on in Wales. Credit: Duwamish Cohousing, Seattle, USA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">In the north east of Cardiff, nestled between Edeyrn\u2019s Church and the busy A48, is a narrow, unremarkable strip of land. It was, until recently, being viewed with growing interest by a local group, Cardiff Cohousing, which wants to do something novel with the plot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniele Procida, the <a href=\"https:\/\/cardiff-cohousing.uk\/\">group\u2019s<\/a> founder, visited the site, only to find it \u201cutterly blighted\u201d by noise from the A48.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe noise is horrendous,\u201d he told the group\u2019s Slack channel. They were finding, like many similar projects, that setting up a new development is far from easy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cohousing, which is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jutlandstation.dk\/not-without-my-neighbours-the-success-of-cohousing-in-denmark\/\">popular in Scandinavia<\/a> and other parts of Northern Europe, is a relatively new but increasingly popular phenomenon for Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch this story <\/h5>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load\" title=\"Is cohousing the answer to Wales&#039; housing crisis?\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"about:blank\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_bvygueO8mI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><noscript><iframe title=\"Is cohousing the answer to Wales&#039; housing crisis?\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_bvygueO8mI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Cohousing UK, cohousing communities are \u201cintentional\u201d communities, created and run by their residents, including both private homes and communal spaces.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really about sharing the space and the amenities and the material things,\u201d Daniele said. \u201cI think in practice real communities come out of sharing physical, material things and taking care of them together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advocates of cohousing say such projects can fight isolation, increase wellbeing and reduce unnecessary consumption. In research released by the Wales Co-operative Centre in 2019, cohousing residents reported improved happiness, increased confidence and better quality of life, compared to traditional housing models.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniele, who has lived in Cardiff for 25 years, started Cardiff Cohousing in September and began to reach out to those who, like him, wanted to live in a less wasteful way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"934\" height=\"467\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop.jpg\" alt=\"Image of a bald man sitting at a table on holiday\" class=\"wp-image-56907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop.jpg 934w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-293x147.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"934\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop.jpg\" alt=\"Image of a bald man sitting at a table on holiday\" class=\"wp-image-56907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop.jpg 934w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Daniele-crop-293x147.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Cardiff Cohousing founder Daniele Procida started the group in September after finding himself &#8220;dissatisfied with urban living,&#8221; he said. Credit: Daniele Procida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re dissatisfied with ordinary suburban living where everyone\u2019s got their own car, their own house, their own lawnmower. They would be quite happy to sacrifice a bit of privacy and gain some community,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sharing is caring<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the movement is still in its infancy in Wales, some projects have managed to get off the ground successfully. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dol-llys.co.uk\/\">Dol-Llys Hall<\/a>, a former regency country house near Llanidloes, Mid Wales, is home to six families who share communal rooms, a laundry and a workshop, Dol-Llys\u2019 website says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Closer to Cardiff is Swansea Cohousing, which is looking to set up cohousing where each resident has their own apartment with shared facilities and the option to buy, rather than rent, co-founder Leonie Ramondt said. Nearby is Golem, a Radical Routes co-op with two properties that has been growing for eight years, she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But making progress is not easy. Allan Shepherd, cohousing officer at Powys County Council, admits on his blog that cohousing projects often face an \u201cuphill struggle\u201d to get homes built.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Dreamers can be an obstacle to progress because they tend to sit around talking and nothing ever gets done<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In Wales, which has the UK\u2019s second highest rate poverty in the private rented sector according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrf.org.uk\/report\/poverty-wales-2020\">a report<\/a> from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a lack of affordability presents a significant obstacle to cohousing becoming a real alternative, particularly for young people facing<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ifs.org.uk\/publications\/13475\"> immense difficulty<\/a> in owning their own home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Sketch of plans for a cohousing development in Cardiff with labels\" class=\"wp-image-56906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Sketch of plans for a cohousing development in Cardiff with labels\" class=\"wp-image-56906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Cohousing-sketch-1-crop.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Perceptions of cohousing as communal or bohemian living have hampered it&#8217;s success, Casey Edwards says. Credit: Cardiff Cohousing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Casey Edwards, Community Led Housing Advisor at <a href=\"https:\/\/wales.coop\/\">Wales Co-operative Centre<\/a>, said without assistance from a Housing Association or the government, she said, it would be difficult to figure out how cohousing projects could be affordable, especially in a place like Cardiff.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith the cost of the land and then the cost of developing properties,\u201d she said, \u201cit is often difficult to deliver affordable housing if you don\u2019t have that support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More urgent problems <\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>That support was hard to find when councils had been trying to get people with urgent needs <a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/11\/18\/temporary-housing-units-for-homeless-families-to-be-built-at-former-gasworks\/\">off the streets<\/a>, Daniele said. At the same time, the Welsh government is scrambling to meet their target of 20,000 new affordable homes by 2021, while the Covid-19 pandemic has complicated matters even further. Long-term planning isn\u2019t easy at a time of crisis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That cohousing isn\u2019t a larger part of government plans might be down to perceptions of cohousing as a utopian or bohemian lifestyle among the public and some politicians, Casey said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA lot of people see it as an alternative form of housing, geared to rural communities who want to live off grid. Maybe people think it\u2019s a commune,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Sketch of proposed site for Cardiff Cohousing\" class=\"wp-image-56909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop.jpg 1190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Sketch of proposed site for Cardiff Cohousing\" class=\"wp-image-56909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Proposed-site-crop.jpg 1190w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Finding suitable land within Cardiff is the biggest obstacle Cardiff Cohousing faces, Daniele says. Credit: Cardiff Cohousing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniele also thinks an obstacle to mainstream adoption is that cohousing \u201cjust sounds so weird to many people.\u201d The idea of privacy has been very strongly encouraged ideologically, he added.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diggers and dreamers<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In reality, while some cohousing projects <em>do <\/em>emphasise radical self-sufficiency, many projects are simply focused on sharing spaces pragmatically. At the Wales Co-operative Centre, Casey said, her team had worked with \u201calternative\u201d people who want to live off grid in really rural areas as well as people who lived in cities and towns and villages all across Wales.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That tension between utopian ideals and pragmatic reality within the cohousing movement even plays out within existing groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of dreaminess in the cohousing sector,\u201d Daniele said. \u201cDreamers can be an obstacle to progress because they tend to sit around talking and nothing ever gets done,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is cohousing going to solve the housing crisis in Wales? Probably not, Casey admits. But while she couldn\u2019t see it being delivered en masse any time soon, she said, it was definitely on the up. The Wales Cooperative Centre had 50 clients on their books, she added, with plans to deliver 290 affordable homes over the next decade.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Daniele isn&#8217;t giving up. He, along with his colleagues at Cardiff Cohousing, continues to search for the right piece of land.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to still be sitting here talking about what we\u2019re planning to do in three years time,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Where can you find cohousing projects in Wales? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dol-llys.co.uk\/\">Dol-Ilys Hall<\/a>, Llanidloes, Mid Wales <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/swanseacohousing.org.uk\/index.php?p0=fp\">Swansea Cohousing<\/a>, Glamorgan<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/golemcoop\/groups\/?ref=page_internal\">Golem Housing Co-operative<\/a>, Swansea, Glamorgan<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/cohousingcardiff.co.uk\/\">Fairwater Connections<\/a>, Cardiff<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"about:blank\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/4705556\/embed#?secret=ku9SH9sUo0\" data-secret=\"ku9SH9sUo0\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"700\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/4705556\/embed#?secret=ku9SH9sUo0\" data-secret=\"ku9SH9sUo0\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"700\"><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div><figcaption>High house prices in Cardiff are encouraging younger and less well off demographics to seek alternatives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cohousing advocates say it can fight loneliness, reduce consumption and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. But will it catch on in Cardiff? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":529,"featured_media":56911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7087,1],"tags":[2103,20,3519,7309],"coauthors":[7104],"class_list":["post-56699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-long-reads","category-uncategorised","tag-co-operative","tag-community","tag-housing","tag-housing-c"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is cohousing ready to transform traditional housing in Cardiff?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Groups like Cardiff Cohousing say it can fight loneliness and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Are they right?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is cohousing ready to transform traditional housing in Cardiff?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Groups like Cardiff Cohousing say it can fight loneliness and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Are they right?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"alt.cardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-18T14:32:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-18T15:58:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jacob Moreton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@jacob_moreton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jacob Moreton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/\",\"name\":\"Is cohousing ready to transform traditional housing in Cardiff?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-18T14:32:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-18T15:58:52+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/45554fac8f02531419ad06ae4ad6f73e\"},\"description\":\"Groups like Cardiff Cohousing say it can fight loneliness and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Are they right?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1280,\"caption\":\"Cohousing is popular in Northern Europe and parts of North America, but is yet to fully catch on in Wales. Credit: Duwamish Cohousing, Seattle, USA\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Inside cohousing, the movement set to disrupt housing in Wales\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/\",\"name\":\"alt.cardiff\",\"description\":\"If it\u2019s offbeat and in Cardiff then it\u2019s online here.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/45554fac8f02531419ad06ae4ad6f73e\",\"name\":\"Jacob Moreton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/964d941da6ce31e9a0e0c456d6085b06\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3b94ca9479e0fd34f25a28f20fb5f15389affefa7e60febec19300db6d9c1831?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3b94ca9479e0fd34f25a28f20fb5f15389affefa7e60febec19300db6d9c1831?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jacob Moreton\"},\"description\":\"Journalist and writer interested in social affairs, culture and cities | MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jacob-moreton-3a5180a0\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/jacob_moreton\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/author\/jacobmoreton\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is cohousing ready to transform traditional housing in Cardiff?","description":"Groups like Cardiff Cohousing say it can fight loneliness and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Are they right?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is cohousing ready to transform traditional housing in Cardiff?","og_description":"Groups like Cardiff Cohousing say it can fight loneliness and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Are they right?","og_url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/","og_site_name":"alt.cardiff","article_published_time":"2020-12-18T14:32:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-12-18T15:58:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1280,"url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jacob Moreton","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@jacob_moreton","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jacob Moreton","Estimated reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/","name":"Is cohousing ready to transform traditional housing in Cardiff?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-18T14:32:59+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-18T15:58:52+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/45554fac8f02531419ad06ae4ad6f73e"},"description":"Groups like Cardiff Cohousing say it can fight loneliness and provide an affordable alternative to traditional housing. Are they right?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2020\/12\/Duwamish_Cohousing_03-1-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1280,"caption":"Cohousing is popular in Northern Europe and parts of North America, but is yet to fully catch on in Wales. Credit: Duwamish Cohousing, Seattle, USA"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2020\/12\/18\/inside-cohousing-the-movement-set-to-disrupt-housing-in-cardiff\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inside cohousing, the movement set to disrupt housing in Wales"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/","name":"alt.cardiff","description":"If it\u2019s offbeat and in Cardiff then it\u2019s online here.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/45554fac8f02531419ad06ae4ad6f73e","name":"Jacob Moreton","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/964d941da6ce31e9a0e0c456d6085b06","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3b94ca9479e0fd34f25a28f20fb5f15389affefa7e60febec19300db6d9c1831?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3b94ca9479e0fd34f25a28f20fb5f15389affefa7e60febec19300db6d9c1831?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jacob Moreton"},"description":"Journalist and writer interested in social affairs, culture and cities | MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jacob-moreton-3a5180a0\/","https:\/\/x.com\/jacob_moreton"],"url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/author\/jacobmoreton\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/529"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56699"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57148,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56699\/revisions\/57148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56699"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=56699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}