Hope Cohousing—a community interest company—is working to establish a small cohousing project for older people in St Margaret’s Hope, Orkney, as a lasting community benefit. Six new, eco-aware, affordable rental homes will be built for people wanting to live independently and build a supportive community. The project will have shared amenities, a garden….and chickens.
Since early in 2024, HCH has been under the umbrella of the Communities Housing Trust (CHT). Backed by the Scottish Government, the Trust is the leading charitable organisation for facilitating community-led housing in central and northern Scotland. When the homes are built, they will be owned by CHT. The responsibility for day-to-day management will lie with the HCH residents.
Find out more about the project; become a Friend of Hope Cohousing; or join our monthly meet-up.
Contact us if you have questions about HCH.
In the news
Our next monthly meet-up
Our monthly meet-ups (where all are welcome) take place on the first Saturday of the month. The next one will be on October 4 in either Burray or South Ronaldsay (venue to be confirmed and, wherever possible, close to an X1 bus stop).
Hope Cohousing September Newsletter
The latest edition of our newsletter was published on September 12. Click to download.
Tackling Scotland’s Housing Emergency
Màiri McAllan – the Cabinet Secretary for Housing – has announced a Plan for Scotland (September 3, 2025). She has also committed to invest up to £4.9bn to deliver around 36,000 affordable homes by 2029-30 (9,000 pa). [Click to view the plan]. While a step forward, it falls short of what recent research shows is actually needed – 15,000 social and affordable homes pa. [Click for a comprehensive Scottish Housing News article on the plan].
A few weeks earlier, Màiri McAllan had written to Hope Cohousing saying that the Scottish Government is supportive of community-led housing, including co-housing models. She continued, ‘I am in the process of engaging with relevant MSPs across the broad range of issues raised in relation to the Housing Bill, including the matter of co-housing’.
[September 4, 2025]
HCH at South Ronaldsay and Burray Agricultural Show
It was a windy day for the show. We were nearly blown away, but on the plus side, it didn’t rain. Setting up wasn’t easy!
Our thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat, entered the Name the Chicken competition, and signed up for the Friends of Hope Cohousing. Wilma the hen is winging her way to her new home.
[August 7, 2025]
Pathfinders
In a new Scottish Housing News podcast, Jenny Rambridge and Tom Morton discuss the development of cohousing and the significance of the Hope Cohousing project. Click here to listen to the podcast on Spotify.
[July 30, 2025]
The Orkney News has reported on the HCH June meet-up in Stromness Community Centre and the progress of The Housing (Scotland) Bill through Parliament. The piece concludes:
The Hope Co-Housing project not only delivers affordable accommodation for older people but once built it lights the way forward for the future direction for housing in Orkney as a community owned asset.[June 10, 2025]
Click for more HCH news.
Resources
Featured article: Why cohousing is good for people and communities – the evidence. [Updated January 2024]
Creating a cohousing project: Materials and videos exploring different aspects of putting together a cohousing project.
Look out for: Burray and South Ronaldsay: Local services. [New and updated]. See also the new Exploring South Ronaldsay site which began life onthese pages.
For more about the development of cohousing in Scotland, click on the Cohousing Scotland logo below.
updated: September 12, 2025