About Us
Cohousing Australia
Cohousing Australia promotes collective models of housing, housing diversity, and housing choice. Cohousing Australia’s mission is to create and expand the sector, network and conditions necessary to make cohousing an option for all interested.
Working with communities, government agencies, and industry, Cohousing Australia seeks to create the conditions for citizen-led housing collectives to engage in participatory processes through all phases of housing planning, design, delivery and operation, contrary to the dominant conception of housing as a speculative commodity.
It is time to transition to housing that supports people, planet, and place.
Collaborative housing exists under many different names. We are passionate about cohousing because of the highly urban and suburban context of habitation in Australia
Cohousing Australia wants to help you make it happen!
Aspirations
We believe there is the need and demand for housing alternatives in Australia. There is an opportunity to address a range of social, environmental and economic issues through the development of more diversity in the housing sector. We see cohousing as one important housing typology largely missing from the Australian urban experience.
Cohousing Australia promotes collective models of housing, housing diversity, and housing choice. This includes mainstreaming these “alternatives” in the Australian cultural psyche, making them an available option for all, and embedding them in the legal, planning, regulatory and financial systems.
Our Vision is for a cohousing community in every suburb and town.
Our Purpose is to position residents at the centre of housing provision; enabling citizens to collectively create housing which provides a place of safety and security, empowering human beings and communities to be better able to live in harmony with economic, environmental, and social contexts and enable more resilient and regenerative futures.
To this end, Cohousing Australia advocates for and supports the creation and delivery of cohousing in Australian urban areas in a way that recognises the variations in economic, environmental and social ambitions and capacities of groups and the differences in legislative and planning contexts across the nation.
Working with communities, government agencies, and industry, CoHousing Australia seeks to create the conditions for citizen-led housing collectives to engage in participatory processes through all phases of housing planning, design, delivery and operation, contrary to the dominant conception of housing as a speculative commodity.
Our Mission is to support the establishment and enhancement of the networks and conditions necessary to expand the Australian cohousing sector; making cohousing an option for all interested.
Our Values:
- Cooperation
- Stewardship
- Sustainability
- Inclusivity
- Connectivity
- Transparency
- Participation
Who are we?
We are a group of passionate individuals dedicated to systemic change in the Australian housing market. Advocating for greater diversity and accessibility to safe, secure, sustainable and convivial housing, communities and neighbourhoods.
Cohousing Australia is a volunteer organisation, we each do our best to contribute to the sector through our ‘day jobs’ and through our collaboration within Cohousing Australia.
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Co-Chair
Elena Pereyra Architect, regenerative design practitioner, researcher, activist, Convener of the CA Community Development Working Group Elena is an architect (sometimes) turned sustainability educator, bike infrastructure advocate and cohousing aficionado. She has worked in corporate practice, and in general residential, from private dwellings through to high-density residential. Her passion is for citizen-led participatory processes that lead to regenerative outcomes stewarded through collaborative governance. Elena is passionate about facilitating urban interventions that build collective capacity so people and their communities can be prepared and responsive to the climate emergency and other social, economic and environmental hurdles. |
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Cassie Pace Details to be updated |
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Treasurer:
Keith Little Architect, educator, Convener of the CA Education Working Group https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-l-b82a2836
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Membership officer:
Paul Adams Architect, sustainable, educative environments & prefabricated architecture |
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Teresa Dominik
Strategic Planner, Convener of the CA Planning Policy Working Group Teresa has over 30 years’ experience in local government including 10 years in South Africa, with management responsibilities providing her with experience in strategic and statutory planning, governance, environmental planning, open space and recreation planning, and urban design and landscape with strong community participation. Teresa is passionate about building strong partnerships and the integration of social, environmental and economic systems, especially as it relates to housing delivery processes and outcomes, and the related policy and planning support required to achieve sustainable outcomes. |
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Matthew Daly
Sustainability and collaborative housing researcher, Convener of the CA Research Working Group https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-l-b82a2836
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David Alonso Love (Co-Chair)
Co-founder of Sydney Co-housing, Convener of the CA NSW State Chapter. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-alonso-love-75536046
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| Myfan Jordan
Convenor of the Creating Community Working Group |
Contact us via the Get Involved page
Ambassadors and collaborators
- Jasmine Palmer
- Architecture, Housing, and Sustainable Design Researcher
- Anitra Nelson
- Academic, Activist, Author