Hi there and welcome to the HOWCH website.
HOWCH stands for Hastings Older Womens Cohousing and we are a local group set up with the aim to offer alternative housing in an area where there is a shortage of affordable housing. We would like to introduce the alternative form of cohousing to the local market in order to alleviate some of this pressure.
HOWCH would like to set up a blueprint for how this scheme can work for many different groups in our society, however, the local HOWCH group is focusing on a community of cohousing for women in their older ages, a cause close to our hearts.
Loneliness and isolation has increased in recent years as a result of longer lifespans, cuts to social care services and families becoming more spread geographically. Age UK has proclaimed that loneliness and isolation is a “major health concern, because if loneliness is not addressed it can become chronic, seriously affecting people’s health and wellbeing”.
According to the same charity loneliness is set to soar among the over 50’s with half of all people aged 75 and over living alone. 70% of these are women. This is why we would like to provide cohousing for women over the age of 50 in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea.
Hi there and welcome to the HOWCH website.
HOWCH stands for Hastings Older Womens Cohousing and we are a local group set up with the aim to offer alternative housing in an area where there is a shortage of affordable housing. We would like to introduce the alternative form of cohousing to the local market in order to alleviate some of this pressure.
HOWCH would like to set up a blueprint for how this scheme can work for many different groups in our society, however, the local HOWCH group is focusing on a community of cohousing for women in their older ages, a cause close to our hearts.
Loneliness and isolation has increased in recent years as a result of longer lifespans, cuts to social care services and families becoming more spread geographically. Age UK has proclaimed that loneliness and isolation is a “major health concern, because if loneliness is not addressed it can become chronic, seriously affecting people’s health and wellbeing”.
According to the same charity loneliness is set to soar among the over 50’s with half of all people aged 75 and over living alone. 70% of these are women. This is why we would like to provide cohousing for women over the age of 50 in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea.
INFORMATION
LITERATURE
If you are interested in delving deeper into cohousing we have provided a list of literature. This is by no means extensive and we will keep up-dating it. Please let us know if you have come across a book that you think we should to add to our list.
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The Cohousing Handbook by Chris & Kelly Scotthanson (2005)
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Cohousing in Britain - A Diggers & Dreamers Review by S. Bunker, C. Coates, M. Field and J. How (2011)
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Low Impact Living: A Field Guide to Ecological, Affordable Community Building by Paul Chatterton (2014)
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Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities by Charles Durrett & Kathryn McCamant (2011)
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The Senior Cohousing Handbook, 2nd Edition: A Community Approach to Independent Living by Charles Durrett (2009)
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Thinking About CoHousing by Martin Field (2004)
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Living Together - Cohousing Ideas & Realities Around the World by Dick Urban Vestbro (2010
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Built Environment – Cohousing in the Making, Vol 38, No.3 Edited by Karin Krokfors (2012)
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Collaborative Housing in Sweden by Inga-Lisa Sangregorio (2000)
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Schemata Workshop - Designing the Cohouse Common House by Grace Kim (2006)
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Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing by David Wann (2005)