Scaling Up Approaches to Participatory Co-Housing

Background

Cohousing is a collectively designed and managed habitat in which fully private dwellings are organized around collective spaces to promote social connection and the sharing of objects and services. This project is generating knowledge on regulatory reform, strategic planning, and financial tools to support the development of affordable co-housing in Canada, with a focus on Montreal.

Methodology

First, this project documents the implementation of emblematic co-housing projects, identifying key stakeholders, citizen motivations, development costs, socio-economic impacts, participation processes, and the logistical, regulatory, and legal barriers encountered.

Second, it conducts comparative research on international co-housing models alongside the work of Village Urbain, examining strategic approaches and their applicability to the Montreal context.

Third, it assesses financial tools and barriers affecting the scalability of affordable co-housing by analyzing institutional capacity, regulatory frameworks, financial resources, and associated liabilities.

These research areas draw on case studies and interviews to document participatory processes, comparative analysis across Canadian and international contexts, and application of findings to an ongoing pilot project led by Village Urbain. The project will culminate in a ‘made-in-Montreal’ framework for co-housing and the dissemination of practical insights on how institutional conditions shape the feasibility of participatory housing models.

Results

This project has generated evidence-based outputs, including a film screening and websites documenting related projects, on the development of affordable co-housing in Canada.