What’s the difference between cohousing and a housing co-op?

Cooperative is an ownership and management model, and cohousing is a type of community living. This may sound a bit confusing, because while some cohousing projects may choose to be co-ops, cooperatives are not necessarily cohousing.

A housing cooperative means that the houses are owned by the cooperative and all members have an equal say in the management of the housing, regardless of their share in the properties.

Cohousing means that members have their own private space with access to shared facilities like the shared garden and common house, with shared meals and collective decision making.

In most housing cooperatives members simply rent their houses from the co-op. ChaCo is a cohousing and a cooperative, but lets members own up to 99% of their home; our cooperative owns the land, our rented properties and a certain percentage of each house. This model protects our project from real estate speculations and secures its affordability for the long run.