While Australia grapples with housing affordability, a pilot project here in Canberra is offering a potential solution in the so-called 'missing middle' between suburban houses and apartment living. Six people have just moved into a purpose-built 'co-housing' development on a residential block in the city's inner suburbs.
00:00Breaking new ground on how land is developed in the ACT.
00:08It's so exciting that we've got a block which had previously one household living on it
00:13and now we have three households living on it.
00:15Yes!
00:16The concept of co-housing is simple.
00:18Each couple has its own 100 square metre two bedroom unit
00:22but share common facilities.
00:24Laundry, workshop, cars and even a spare room.
00:27All built on a standard quarter acre suburban block.
00:31So it's kind of the best of both worlds but you don't need the resources that you need
00:36if you each have individual houses.
00:39And here it was really important for us to have that Canberra suburban type lifestyle.
00:45As retirees Trish, Joss and Ian initially planned it as an ageing in place community
00:51but it's become so much more.
00:53That gives diversity in your daily activity.
00:56We're not in an aged care place.
00:58We're a normal part of the community.
01:01Downsizing for some of the residents but James and Gillian wanted to get out of Sydney
01:06and for them this is upsizing.
01:08We were looking around and my partner came across the Stellulata website
01:13and said to me this is an interesting one.
01:16Over a few weeks they talked to and interviewed each other to make sure they were the right fit.
01:21We need to work out what were threshold issues which meant we either could or we couldn't live with each other.
01:26Stellulata is a demonstration housing project showing a different way of developing and living.
01:32They're the first to admit this site isn't particularly cheap but say they've found a model that could be replicated to build affordable housing.
01:40That's the role of planners, of elected officials, of architects, people who have professional skills to work out how could this be replicated in many different ways across the ACT.
01:52There is some effort involved. It's not for everybody but it's well worth it from our point of view.
01:57I'm really happy to live the rest of my life here. It'll be fabulous.
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