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Why Co-living? , or WhyCo, is a campaign that advocates for the development of more co-living homes in the UK. In partnership with industry leaders we are speaking with local authorities, national policymakers and investors in order to encourage support for the tenure, increase investment and ultimately deliver much needed rental homes.
Coliving responds to local urban challenges and global needs
Aspects of coliving include energy efficiency, sharing of resources, best-in-class infrastructure, central location, proximity to public transport, and pro-social environmental behaviours.
Coliving supports the delivery of quality homes, helps regenerate local areas, provides value for money renting, and can be a key part of placemaking and urban regeneration for city planners.
Coliving helps enable authentic connections amongst residents, fostering cultures of community, wellbeing, openness, support, engagement, and positive social and cultural change.
Co-living is a modern form of professionally managed, rental housing which emphasises community, affordability and convenience.
Residents have access to private compact studios and communal spaces, which often include shared kitchens, coworking, gyms, and lounge areas (like the ones shown above at Ark Wembley and Folk Sunday Mills).
Rents are inclusive of bills, and tenancy contracts are often more flexible than traditional rental homes. Both residents and the local neighbourhood are encouraged to socialise via events programming and design to encourage social interaction.
Industry leaders uniting for a unique campaign around coliving
These leading industry players are supporting this research and advocacy campaign and helping advance the sector with an evidence-backed report and multimedia content. WhyCo also has support and endorsement from the British Property Federation, Cascade Communications and CBRE.
An evidence-backed report will consist of the following data and findings:
- Definition of Coliving: Define coliving, including typologies and terminologies
- Resident Demographics and Needs: Provide data on residents served by coliving
- Social Value of Coliving: Present evidence of social, environmental, and economic impacts
- Best Practices and Case Studies: Showcase best practices and case studies in coliving
- UK Coliving Supply and Demand: Detail macro trends and supply imbalance in key UK cities
- Barriers to UK Coliving: Explore planning, licensing, regulatory and cultural challenges
- Recommendations: Provide recommendations for planning, regulation, design, ESG, social value, and community experience
Conscious Coliving and participating industry leaders will present findings at leading sector events in 2025, including MIPIM, UKREiFF, and Housing 2025. Public and private sector stakeholders will be invited to learn more about this growing industry, and how coliving can be a key solution for the UK’s housing sector.
Through specialist events, coliving site visits, conference presentations and press releases, Why Coliving? aims to promote the benefits and value of coliving throughout the UK housing industry.
See this update from our exclusive partner and public stakeholder site tour at Folk, Florence Dock; and our publication, Co-living: A Catalyst for Urban Regeneration.
Join roundtables and panels on coliving at industry events
Stay updated about the WhyCo campaign releases
and upcoming events
We are organising exclusive roundtables, panel sessions and other opportunities for you to exchange around coliving.
We also have our campaign report launch scheduled for the end of Q2 2025.
Please fill out the form to hear more about the campaign, research releases and opportunities to join events.
Why Coliving? campaign co-leads
Dr Penny Clark
Director of Research & Sustainability
Conscious Coliving
Penny has a research background. Her PhD, which won a Coliving Award in 2022, explored and measured the environmental impacts of shared living communities, and she has since undertaken research on coliving for policy, industry and academic audiences. Penny has been interviewed about shared living in the BBC and the Guardian, along with having written about shared living in publications including The Developer, Coliving Insights, Conscious Cities, and the book, Urban Communal Living in Britain.
Matt Lesniak
Director of Impact & Innovation
Conscious Coliving
As an entrepreneur, community facilitator and impact strategist, Matt Lesniak works at the cross sections of the community building, impact, placemaking and shared living sectors. Matt has been a driving force behind the coliving sector for years, with a CV that includes The Collective, Co-Liv, and initiatives Coliving Insights and the Coliving Awards. Matt is a strong advocate for impact-driven coliving businesses, which embed environmental and social value throughout their communities.