Takaka Cohousing

Takaka Cohousing are creating a neighbourhood that's built on shared values with an established culture of trust, respect, care and joy. Where kids can play outside with their friends while adults connect more deeply and help each other. This multigenerational support and intergenerational reciprocity form the heart of our community, with couples, singles, families with children, and retirees from across the country and around the world.

“We’ve been told that we need to live in isolation, to have our own house away from others, to have our own land to be safe. What this has done has pushed us away from each other and led people to be disconnected from the whenua.”

Simone Kidner for The Spinoff

• Location

  Tākaka

• Stage

  Forming and developing (Neighbourhood 1 of 3 is complete)

• Date Initiated

  Jan 2020

• Date Completed

  Neighbourhood 1 was complete in 2023 and all other stages expected to be complete in 2027

• Housing Type

  CoHousing

• Number of Residents

  In Neighbourhood 1: 54 Adults, 15 Children

• Number of Dwellings

  In Neighbourhood 1: 34 homes

  In Neighbourhood 2: 18 homes

  In Neighbourhood 3: 18 homes

• Size of Land

  14 Ha (This includes the 3 neighbourhoods and the 7 Hectares owned by the Community Land Trust - Te Hapori Hauora)

• Developed By

  Our development is managed by Mōhua Ventures, a charitable business owned by Te Hapori Hauora, a registered charitable trust.

• Legal Owneship Structure

  Unit Title Body Corporate model with a Community Land Trust (charitable status) which owns land not occupied by residents or managed by the Body Corporate

• Individual Dwelling Tenure

  Unit Title

• Funding Model/s for Development

  Owner equity 30%, 70% Commercial Construction Loan with Kiwibank

• Housing Type and Numbers

  Neighbourhood 1: 34 duplex homes.

  Neighbourhoods 2 and 3: 18 duplex homes.

• Shared Facilities

  Neighbourhood 1: Common House, Storage shed, Workshop, Shared Gardens, Laundry

  Neighbourhood 2 & 3: Common House, Storage shed, Workshop, Shared Gardens

• Total Cost in Year Completed

  Stage 1: $26 million (N1)

  Stage 2: $36 million (N2 & N3)

• Governance Model

  Consensus, coloured cards model for decision making with a 75% final vote backup if consensus can’t be reached. Community currently exploring moving to Sociocracy.

• What were the external barriers experienced during development?

  Funding, change in housing market, covid, building supply issues, legal requirements to secure construction loan means high risk for residents. Huge increase in interest rates and cost of living from the start of the project to when first mortgages are being secured. No support for affordable housing or partner organizations available to support affordable housing.

• What were the internal challenges during development?

  Neighbourhood 1: Selling the last two houses after the housing market decreased. Financial pressures meaning the delayed building of the common house. Changes in residents and constant onboarding increasing pressure on the development team.

  Neighbourhood 2: Building community in a shorter amount of time due to build timeline pressures; Neighbourhood 2 having its own identity, as a lot of the thinking has already been done by Neighbourhood 1.

• If you had your time again, would you do anything differently?

  Ensure absolutely all residents have sought independent legal advice before signing legal agreements. Start with a bigger contingency margin.

• What advice would you give to aspiring projects starting out?

  Item description

• Further Information and Contacts

  www.takakacohousing.co.nz

• Can People Contact You Directly to Ask Questions?

  kiaora@takakacohousing.co.nz