Housing co-op event to be held in Dublin

A housing think tank that promotes the concept of co-operative or "self organised" housing will hold an information day in association with the Housing Agency in Dublin on Saturday.

A small number of co-ops, where developments are planned, built and run by their residents, are currently building homes in Ireland.

The most well-known is Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance, which recently built an estate of 49 houses in Ballymun, with prices starting at €140,000 for a two-bedroom, €160,000 for a three-bedroom and €199,000 for a four-bedroom house.

SOA Research, a not-for-profit research think tank, said it wants to “promote the possibilities for self-organised, collaborative, and cooperative approaches to Housing in Ireland”, taking influences from European models in cities such as Hamburg and Barcelona, as well as in Britain.

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The “Cohousing Cafe” day, which is taking place at the Linenhall, Henrietta Place, off Bolton Street in the north inner city, will hear from co-housing groups from Dublin, Limerick and Wicklow whose projects are at various stages of development.

Representatives from the Irish League of Credit Unions and Community Finance Ireland will also attend and there will be workshops on the financial and legal issued involved in co-operative housing and on the logistics of getting organised as a co-op.

The drop-in event takes place from 12pm-4pm on Saturday.