What is Cohousing? 

Dive headfirst into the vibrant world of cohousing, a thrilling blend of private homes and shared spaces that pulsates with communal energy. Each privately owned unit offers a sanctuary of traditional comforts, while shared spaces boast a bustling common house with a large kitchen, dining area, laundry facilities, co-working, and recreational zones, all fostering connection and camaraderie. 

Beyond the doors, shared outdoor spaces— a beautiful rooftop with gardens, bike storage parking areas—and a treasure trove of shared resources like tools and bikes, fuel the everyday excitement. Cohousing is not just a unique living setup, but shared experiences, discovery, and lasting bonds. Brace yourself for an adventure in cohousing!

1. All-Ages Community: East Van Cohousing is an all-ages community that welcomes people who share a like-minded view on the importance of community, inclusivity and sustainability. Kids, teenagers, adults, seniors, singles, couples, families, retirees, local, international, belief system or non, all relationship types, all genders, and all abilities welcome! Adopted/foster/other family members are welcome and folks can host/house their people of choice in their homes. 

2. Cohousing Design: Cohousing design emphasizes little interactions between neighbours that build relationships. All units face a community street. 

3. Have you designed the building yet? Our first ‘Site Design’ workshop was on May 13th & 14th, 2023; the second, ‘Common House Design Workshop’ was on June 17th and 18th 2023 and the third, ‘Private House’ design workshop was on July 17th and 18th, 2023. We had our fourth, 'Design Close Workshop' on 25th & 26th August 2023. In these workshops, we worked together with our Architect (Charles Durrett - who specializes in cohousing) to come up with design ideas that will work practically from an architectural standpoint. He has helped design, develop and build over 60 cohousing developments across North America and has seen over 2000 worldwide! We now have a decent idea of the design of the building including the shared amenities, the number and layout of the units, the sizes etc. We are looking to have studios, 1 beds, 2 beds and 3 beds with varying sizes and locations. These are being worked on before submitting to the City.

4. Completion date: While still in the early stages, the estimated completion and move-in date would be in the second half of 2026. The group is motivated to complicate this project as swiftly as possible to move into their homes and help keep costs lower. 

5. Ownership: East Van Cohousing will be a standard Condominium Strata Ownership, where people will own their homes and can rent or sell whenever and to whomever they like. The rest of the residents do not have a say in who they sell or rent to. Due to the community nature of Cohousing, there is normally a preference towards longer-term rentals (E.g. in a case that the owner goes away for months). Currently, there are no plans to have any purely rental units. 

6. Private Homes: Each private home will be self-contained to allow for independent living and privacy, with its own kitchen,  indoor and outdoor spaces which will most likely be balconies on the upper floors or a patio on the ground floor. The order of your investment will also influence the order in which you choose your unit. E.g. if you are the 10th household to invest you will be 10th to choose your unit. Bear in mind there are multiple unit types so you may be only the 3rd in line for your type of unit. 

7. Common House / Amenities: East Van Cohousing will have a shared “Common House” for socializing and community activities, such as movie nights, common meals, fitness, arts, and more; including a large dining room, kitchen. We have also planned for a dedicated playroom, 2 guest suites, a Co-working space, a cafe/media room, a workshop, bike storage, personal storage and car parking in the basement. Everyone is welcome to use these spaces. If it is a space that needs to be booked e.g. for a birthday party, this will be done through a booking system. 

8. Site: Duke St. is in the beautiful Norquay area in South-East Vancouver. The site is a 10-minute walk to 29th Ave Skytrain (on the Expo line) and Slocan Park and across the street from Norquay Park. There are also multiple bus stops with transit to Downtown Vancouver in one direction and Surrey in the other. It is also near John Norquay Elementary and Windermere Secondary Schools and Renfrew Community Centre and Library. 

9. Optional Shared Meals and Other Events: East Van Cohousing will include optional shared meals, celebrations and other events that create a village-like atmosphere that is friendly and welcoming. We are planning on 4 meals a week. 

10. EV chargers: The project will likely include Electric Vehicle chargers.

11. Pets: Most cohousing projects allow cats, dogs and other small pets. 

12. Visitors: Visitors are welcome to cohousing meals/events, and may stay in your home, guest rooms and be in the common areas.  Most likely, our guest accommodation will be booked at a minimal fee (e.g. $20/night). 

13. Cost:  The estimated cost of units at East Van Cohousing will be in the range of $1250 per square foot, similar to projected 2026 market prices in the area. We are planning on a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom suites.

14. Investments: Minimum investment to be a member is $50-130K, or at least 10% of the unit price before May 2024.. Investments are recorded as shares in East Van Cohousing Company, which will own the land.  Discounts for early investments are available.

15. Legal: Decisions made by the East Van Cohousing core group are recorded in a binder.  Potential members may review the East Van Cohousing project binder, the pro-forma and legal agreements.