How to Join
If you'd like one of our homes, the next deadline for applications is 27 February 2012. These applications will be decided upon at our March General Meeting.
If the house type you are interested in is not currently available please consider applying to our waiting pool or contacting us for further information.
We welcome applications from people who are interested in buying to let. The number of buy to let properties will be subject to a cap of 20% of the total number of properties, and preference will be given to those households who wish to live in the project.
We are now welcoming applications from people who are interested in buying one of the 3-bedroom eco-houses at the edge of the main site, Heron Bank, numbers 30-35 on the site plan.
Types of Membership
We have three types of membership of the Cohousing Company. All three categories of member pay an annual membership fee.
1. Friends of Lancaster Cohousing
Friends are people who wish to be involved in the project but are not full members. This includes prospective members, members of other groups and anyone who wishes to support the project.
Friends can:
- attend General meetings, Directors meetings, Build and Resource meetings and process team meetings (as observers)
- join in events e.g. a trip to an existing cohousing project, social events
- access some internal commercially sensitive documents, e.g. financial procedures
- be kept informed of progress and opportunities to join
- be assigned a full member ‘buddy’ and discuss full membership with them and other core members
- receive copies of our minutes
Households or individuals can join by filling in our application form and sending it by post or email to join@lancastercohousing.org.uk (and paying the annual fee of £30).
2. Full membership
Full members are households who have committed to the project and signed a pre sale agreement which is a contract to buy a home.
For full members a 30% loan is payable immediately after the GM where the prospective member has been accepted in principle. By agreement with the Membership Group this could be delayed for a maximum of 6 weeks.
Full members of the company are able to vote (by household). On joining members choose their home. Plot choice is decided in order of application.
Applicants should fill in the full membership application and the finance questionnaire. Following acceptance as a full member at a General Meeting you will be asked for the 30% and to sign the 'Agreement to Lease'; please email for an example copy.
Please note the following about full membership applications:
- We believe that it takes time for the “mutual selection” process to operate. Please do try to come to socials and meetings so that we can get to know each other.
- As a minimum we would ask that applicants should have attended a social and 2 meetings including a Building and Resources (BaR) meeting before their application goes to a General meeting. Usually General Meetings are the weekend of the second Sunday of the month and BaR meetings are every Monday 4.45-6.45pm.
- We also ask applying/new members to attend an integration meeting before joining in our decision making process. Dates are on our front page. The integration meeting is an opportunity to find out a lot more detail about the project; how decisions are made, where we have got to in the process, how to access information, where and when we meet and socialise etc.
- If you are applying to be a full / waiting pool member please also send a prospective membership form and £30 (if you haven't already).
3. Waiting Pool membership
Waiting pool membership is for households who wish to become full members if a vacancy becomes available in their house type.
For more information on joining, please send an email to join@lancastercohousing.org.uk with your details.
