By Cynthia Brathwaite – Leeds Community Homes.
Pride of Place Living is an LGBTQ community‑led cohousing project in Leeds, and their latest Lottery‑funded workshop brought the group to Chapeltown Cohousing (better known as Chaco) for a deep dive into consensus decision‑making and communication. As someone who works at Leeds Community Homes and lives at Chaco, I was especially excited to see how the session would land.
The group spent Saturday morning unpacking who makes which decisions at different stages of the project and exploring a whole menu of decision‑making models. Consensus was a big focus — and it turns out most of us use it every day without realising it. Whether you’re negotiating dinner plans or choosing a film with friends, you’re already practising the skills that make community living work.
Consensus decision‑making is a collaborative way for groups to make choices by finding solutions everyone can live with, rather than relying on majority rule. It focuses on listening, understanding different perspectives, and working together to shape an outcome that respects the needs of the whole group.
One of the highlights was hearing directly from Chaco members about how we make decisions together in real life. We talked honestly about the culture, the challenges, and the rewards of shared governance. From my own experience, consensus isn’t always easy, but it ensures every voice is heard, not just the loudest or the majority.
Participants then jumped into a role‑play exercise to practise listening, negotiating, and working with different perspectives. The room was full of trust, curiosity, and good humour, exactly the ingredients that help a new community take shape.
We rounded off the day with a shared lunch and plenty of conversation with ChaCo residents, who were happy to answer questions about what cohousing is really like. For me, the social connection and sense of belonging are what make this way of living so special. And for Pride of Place Living, these workshops are just the beginning of building a vibrant, supportive LGBTQ community in Leeds.
For more on Pride of Place see their website: Pride of Place Living
