“Cohousing is about living the good life while using less of the earth’s resources, and having a good time doing it”
Have a question about Ravens Crossing Cohousing? Our Frequently Asked Questions has answers to many of your questions...
1. What is cohousing?
2. How did cohousing get started?
3. What is the Ravens Crossing Cohousing Community?
4. What is a cohousing community like?
5. Do I own my own home?
6. What kinds of people live in cohousing?
7. What about privacy?
8. Are children welcome?
9. Are pets welcome?
10. Can I rent my home?
11. What is a common house?
12. Do members share meals together?13. Do I have to like everyone?
14. Can I expect free elder care or help if I get sick?
15. What will be expected of me in regards to attending meetings and working with the community?
16. What if I want to sell my home?
17. Can I visit Ravens Crossing Cohousing or other existing cohousing communities?
18. What reference materials are available to learn about cohousing?
19. Where can I find out about Sidney and Saanich Peninsula?
20. How do I get my questions answered?
1. What is cohousing?
Cohousing neighbourhoods are designed to combine the autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of shared resources and community living. Cohousing strives to create the sense of a village where neighbours know and support each other, encouraging a sense of community while maintaining options for privacy. It is an alternative development model in which future residents participate in the planning, design, and development of the community so that it directly meets their needs. In the process of working together, residents form foundational bonds in the ongoing community.
2. How did cohousing get started?
The concept emerged in Denmark about 50 years ago. It was introduced to North America by the architect team of Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant with the publication in 1988 of their book Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves. Since then, well over 100 cohousing communities have been completed in North America. There are now 14 completed communities in Canada, and there are many more in various stages of development. The concept is quickly spreading throughout the world. Durrett’s The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living has inspired projects focusing on the needs of an ageing population.
3. What is the Ravens Crossing Cohousing community?
Ravens Crossing Cohousing homeowners have developed a strata-titled community with a difference! Members worked alongside professionals to design and develop our homes. We have planned a community primarily of compact, creatively-designed bright apartments with extensive common facilities to augment our private dwellings and support us to have more connection with our neighbours. We have developed a site in Sidney, within a ten-minute walk of the amenities and green spaces we need to live a more sustainable lifestyle. We closed on the purchase in late June 2018, submitted our development permit to the Town of Sidney in December 2018, we started construction in the autumn of 2019 and move into our new homes in September 2021. We have welcomed introverts and extroverts in all ages and stages of life who value privacy and connection within a simpler, healthier, and more energy-efficient environment to join us.
4. What is a cohousing community like?
With the guidance of experienced professionals from Cohousing Development Consulting, we worked together to design a community that meets our needs and stated priorities. Cohousing design can take a variety of forms—depending on site conditions, local zoning, and desires of members. All completed communities have included leading-edge environmental features. Some examples include: grey water recycling, solar energy harvesting, efficient heating systems, compact design, sustainably harvested wood, recycled materials, water conservation, organic gardening, and preservation of natural habitat. The optimum size of a cohousing community is between 15 and 30 households. Anything smaller puts too much pressure on the individual to participate in community activities. Anything larger does not support a close-knit community. Our community has 35 homes.
5. Do I own my own home?
Individual member households have purchased the homes that have been created through the development process. The legal status is ‘strata title’, and each household owns their own home together with a share of the common facilities. Most communities in North America have chosen this ownership structure for financing convenience.
6. What kinds of people live in cohousing?
Those drawn to cohousing tend to be people who have thought about creating community long before they heard the term cohousing. People who live in cohousing come from diverse backgrounds and income levels, family types and beliefs. What they have in common is a desire to take an active part in their community and a belief that connecting with their neighbours will enhance their quality of life, enable them to share resources, and have more fun.
7. what about privacy?
Our members value privacy as well as social contact. It is essential to us that we have our own homes and private spaces. Some people believe that the cohousing arrangement allows for less privacy than conventional housing, but this is not, in fact, the case. A unique aspect of cohousing is that residents participate in a conscious process of creating a community that will reflect their values. Our members highly value privacy, so the design will reflect our desire to provide a balance of privacy and community. The following statement was taken from a CMHC study in 1997 called,” Planning Cohousing”: "While the shared amenities are integral to cohousing, some believe privacy is more respected in cohousing communities than elsewhere.” There can actually be increased privacy in cohousing because the common areas provide meeting places, guest spaces, rooms for socializing, etc., allowing individual dwellings to be places of privacy and retreat.
8. are children welcome?
Yes! We have no age restriction and welcome people of all ages and stages of life. Many of our current members have children or grandchildren. We have chosen a site that is close to schools, public transit, as well as the stores and services we need to support us as we age in our communities.
9. are pets welcome?
Yes, well-behaved pets are important to many of us and will be welcome within established guidelines.
10. Can I rent my home?
Yes rentals will be allowed within established guidelines.
11. What is a common house?
The common house is the heart of the community. At Ravens Crossing we each have a private home plus lots of common amenities that allow for community/social interaction. There is a large community kitchen and dining room, small quiet spaces, an extensive garden area focusing on food gardening, native species and alfresco entertaining. The common house is a place for residents to share food and have meetings, celebrations, musical events, movies, yoga practice, classes, and other activities that support the interests of community members.
12. Do members share meals together?
Common activities, and particularly shared meals, can be important aspects of community life both for social and for practical reasons. Such activities, however, are always optional. In cohousing communities, residents typically share meals anywhere from a few nights a month to as many as 7 nights per week. It depends entirely on the wishes of the residents, and participation is up to each individual. Each home has its own kitchen, so participating in common meals is optional. Over time, about 60% of cohousing residents tend to participate in shared activities on a regular basis.
13. Do I have to like everyone?
In a healthy and diverse community, people are expected to be tolerant and respectful toward others. Since cohousing communities usually attract members through various social networks, it is likely that a high degree of friendship will naturally exist among members. Some people, of course, are very private individuals and may feel most comfortable with fewer close friendships; whereas, others will form friendships with most everyone in the community. As in other areas of life, individuals create their own experiences.
14. Can I expect free elder care or help if I get sick?
As among any group of friends and neighbours, people help each other in informal ways; cohousing is envisioned as a community in which people are friendly and supportive to each other—especially in times of need. However, this support is always voluntary. Ongoing group care arrangements will be decided by the membership, and any particular ongoing care for individuals would be arranged privately.
15. What will be expected of me in regards to attending meetings and working with the community?
Members work together to organize maintenance and ongoing upkeep duties. There is a monthly maintenance (strata) fee that each owner will be expected to pay, and there will continue to be regular meetings concerning the running of the community and further decision-making.
16. What if I want to sell my home?
Just like any other home, members who want to sell their unit need to find a buyer for it. Because of the collaborative nature of cohousing, opportunities exist for marketing cohousing units in ways other than conventional real estate marketing methods. Each cohousing community typically has a long list of households interested in units that come up for rent or sale, and there are cohousing websites that also list rentals and sales. Ravens Crossing has a sales/rental webpage that lists all the units available to rent or to purchase.
17. Can I visit ravens crossing cohousing or other existing cohousing communities?
Fourteen completed cohousing communities currently exist in Canada. Check the website at the Canadian Cohousing Network to contact individual communities and arrange for a tour. Harbourside Cohousing in Sooke, offers monthly tours. Ravens Crossing will be offering tours later in 2020. Announcements will be made on our website.
18. What reference materials are available to learn about cohousing?
Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett’s book Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities is an excellent resource and will give you an overall view of what cohousing is about. You can arrange to borrow this book from us. There are more and more online resources available, including:
• Cohousing Development Consulting
19. Where can I find out about sidney and the Saanich Peninsula?
The Saanich Peninsula is a long promontory north of Victoria, BC comprising North and Central Saanich. Once primarily a farming region, the peninsula is a beautiful pastoral area with rolling hills and water on all sides that has become known as the "Provence" of Vancouver Island.
Central Saanich has a rich agricultural heritage with almost 2/3 of the municipality located in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Although residents take pride in being primarily a rural community, Central Saanich has one of the largest light industrial zones in the Capital Regional District, with easy access to the Victoria International Airport and BC Ferries Swartz Bay ferry terminal. Neighbourhood centers are located in Brentwood Bay and Saanichton where residents enjoy the benefits of being located close to the city as well as the high quality of life of a rural community.
The floral wonders of The Butchart Gardens, a National Historic Site, delight nearly a million visitors annually with the Japanese, Italian, rose and sunken gardens, live music, afternoon tea, evening illuminations and Saturday night fireworks in the summer months.
The town of Sidney, is a seaside village known for its quaint shops and bistros. Sidney is also the town closest to the BC Ferry Terminal, gateway to the Lower Mainland and the Gulf Islands (Salt Spring, North and South Pender, Mayne, Saturna and Galiano islands). (ref: Tourism Victoria, District of Central Saanich)
20. How do I get my questions answered?
Please do not hesitate to contact Ravens Crossing Cohousing if you have any further questions. For general inquiries email us as info@ravenscrossing.ca. For specific inquiries regarding rentals or home for sale contact homes@ravenscrossing.ca.