What Do You Want to See in the Members Area?

Thanks you for your interest! The survey is now closed. The results are shown below.

If you'd like to join a conference call to talk about what you want in the Members Area, it's scheduled for Wednesday evening, August 5 at 5 pm PDT/ 8 pm EDT. To join the conversation, call (712) 432-1620. When prompted for your access code, key in 1034100#. Normal long distance charges apply (the 712 area code is in western Iowa).

Survey Results

131 people took the survey

8% (10) are cohousing professionals
15% (20) are part of a group that has land / is building now
18% (24) are part of a forming groups
20% (26) are living in cohousing
28% (37) are just curious
36% (47) are seeking a group or a home in cohousing

The proposed (or current) Members Area Topic Rooms that interest our respondents most are...

15% (19) New Professionals
21% (27) Technology
24% (32) Research
28% (37) Marketing
34% (44) Regional Groups
34% (44) The Business side
36% (47) Buying Land/Construction/Financing
40% (53) Common Meals/Community Building
42% (55) Forming Groups
44% (58) Getting the Work Done
47% (61) Group Process
49% (64) Finding Community
50% (65) Aging in Community (Elder/Senior Cohousing)
56% (73) Living in Cohousing
57% (75) Sustainability
67% (88) Affordability

Some of the other things our respondents thought we should know include: (slightly edited for personal information)

• To me this is the answer to many of the challenges we face as individuals & as a society today, yet how to get the word out and draw in people who are willing to form a cohesive unit and TRY!!!! I got zero responses from my ad, and am going to put my home on the market, hopefully as a condo and try and leverage from there, if I can survive!
• Posts should be gatewayed to email
• I extend compliments and appreciation to Craig Ragland for excellent representation of Coho/US at the recent NICA summer gathering. The Association is in very good hands with Craig!
• Pet policies, Mediation experiences
• I am somewhat interested in this concept but not totally sold on it. I feel I need more first - hand information before being able to make a decision.
• That I would like to build co-op artist studio space into the cohousing picture
• I would like to see a library of developer contracts from already built cohousing communities
• Our group has land, is beginning to work with an architect and engineer for site plan and house design. We are most interested at this time in learning to enjoy the process without being overwhelmed. We want small, AFFORDABLE, sustainable homes. We are working with town and county to zone for cohousing development. We are trying to get more people involved, keeping the population diverse, a mix of all ages, with emphasis on RESPECT and good communication for anyone of any age, income, and ability.
• I'm also in Adelaide Australia. Community Housing is only now being spoken about and there's very little info around about it.
• I am one of several people who are forming a regional group for the Northeast. We are waiting for you to set up a "room" for regional groups so that we can start a discussion group for our regional group.
• That this group is in Nova Scotia, Canada. Thank you.
• That I'm also very interested in children in community because I have a three year old. I'd like to learn which communities have coop type of home schooling and schooling options in their locations.
• Cohousing.org is the first stop for newbies like me who are interested in Cohousing. I would love it if there were an organized area for newbies that outlined things we should consider. Thanks!
• I founded a listserv (Children in Cohousing) -- don't want to duplicate efforts with what you're doing on the coho/us site, but I don't see this topic on the list above... are you considering this topic for inclusion? As Craig and I discussed when we met (HI, Craig!) I'm sure we can figure out a way to make these work together...
• A "Don't Reinvent the wheel" area......where someone like myself could type a question and people could "chat" back. Also, more formal.....that the index of all articles from CoHousing be accessible (maybe already are and I don't know how to use them)......and same inquiry could look at index to see if topic written about already. But for sure, a chat room where the "how do you do ........" helps could be.
• If I could find an affordable co-housing situation in the Bay Area, I would do it. It is not a good plan to sell a house at this time.
• I would like to see some links to actual cohousing communities. The map only shows general locations, states, etc. I want to know for example, where are the communities in Florida that are shown on the map? [RESPONSE: Visit the Directory for information about each community which includes a link to its website.]
• We are moving into our community (Arboretum Cohousing, Madison WI) in a month, and we have been very busy... for years! With set up, landscaping, etc., it seems like the busyness will not go away anytime soon. I was hoping cohousing would decrease my "home" work, not increase it. I would like to know about work loads at other communities.
• How to become a 501C3, not - for profit organization .
• I'm ready NOW.............
• I would potentially be interested in being involved in setting up a regional meeting here in Minneapolis.
• Boomer retirement living (age 59 yr.) is ours, not our parents'. My view is small communities, social programs, available space for physical fitness(biking, swimming...), affordability (I don't need grand lobbies, decorators or carpeting. I think green, too. Recycled materials with a respect for the earth and my neighbor. Texas in particular, is a mixture of winter spots. Some don't call themselves retirement, but could be. Canyon Lake is 'winter' for 3 months. There are possibilities there. There is a group of cabins for sale in Wimberly, TX. that could be developed. How to find and develop existing communities is a real problem in Texas. Thank you.
• I am caregiver for my mentally challenged sister, I am also 10 years older than she is. I am looking for a community where we both can age in place; a place where she could stay after I am gone
• I love the concept of aging in community. I don't know what is possible, how to crunch the numbers so that it is a feasible endeavor that would interest others. I'm not to the point of beginning anything. I am a designer and interested in the aging in place concept. This is the beginning of a journey for me.
• Affordability on a fixed income is serious concern for me.
• We're in the exploratory phase - making inquiries, thinking it through......
• I'm interested in finding out how to introduce this subject, particularly Aging in Community, in my town (Knoxville, TN). I'm a gerontologist with an interest is using technologies (blogs, website, etc.) to assist with the process of getting dialog started on the subject of elder/senior cohousing.
• I'm convening a meeting for interested people in September. The location is Westport, MA and I'm hoping to find people who want to create a community within the small Central Village part of town.
• I've checked so many above, because all these areas touch my work of helping forming communities and connecting the groups with developers plus sites. If I had to pick only three, they would be Marketing, Research, New Professionals (I think...don't really know what that one would be. We all have our specialty niches.)
• We are forming a community group at Lake Armstrong www.lakearmstrongcreek.com
• I have lots of ideas but no money. Leasehold mortgage straw bale and kit houses for artists/craftsmen who need studio space!
• So far they seem to be focused listservs. No attempt yet to organize information/knowledge into more useful forms.
• I would be most interested in information about retrofitting rather than building new structure(s).
• That many of us boomers are seeking a small residential footprint such that we can focus our time/money/energy in ways that contribute to our community. I'm clearing out accumulation such that I retain only what I truly need to have a joyful life and make my residence attractive and relaxing. 60-80 is the next phase of my adult life and not necessarily the classic/historic "retirement" where the action slows down. I intend to do more in the next 20 years than I did in my 40-60 phase.
• . . . as a professional, I do not include co housing in front of the designation.
• I own a large farm on a lake in Iowa with absolutely no buildings on it what so ever. It has a forest type area on it too and two ponds. I have always dreamed about making cohousing for baby boomers out there but I am just not sure how to do it. I went web surfing and found your website. I am hoping I will learn something from here. I am 57 and have a little time to get it together. But I have a sister and she is 61 and will need a place to retire so maybe I don't have as much time as I'm thinking.
• I explored similar ideas in the 1970s and worked on several designs. Career and family demands ... I was unaware the movement still had legs and I now want to see if my views are compatible with the current versions of cohousing. The idea of another career as a cohousing professional is also interesting. At this point in my investigation the social dynamics seem to be the most important because they drive the finance and all the logistics. That these are the most fluid would seem to present difficulties.
• I have been living in California for the past 35 years. I just own this farm in Iowa with my sister and I am worried about retirement and I am curious about possibly making a coho community on our farm. But I know nothing about nothing. All I know is I have a large farm and am a divorcee that is worried about my retirement.
• I'm interested in what cohousing opportunities are available for low-income seniors.
• I wish there were more archives of legal papers and rules and regulations for Cohousing Communities we could tap into, as well as more photos of existing plans and completed communities we could use for inspiration!
• I am interested in more rural type cohousing
• co-op artist studio space is important
• I am an academic with personal and research interests in co-housing, comparing the UK with the USA
• I am actively seeking community, have invited others to join.
• Another area I'd like to see is on Community Vision: What are existing groups vision or mission statements, and how well to members feel they are doing in meeting or moving toward that vision?
• However my time is very limited indeed so I would probably only use members page occasionally.
• I posed the suggestion of developing a small cohousing community to my neighbors, and have gotten some interest. There is a large property for sale in the midst of our area. We were alarmed when a developer proposed building 8 large townhouses on the site. The town planning board voted down the proposal, to our relief. However, it is certain that some kind of development will happen sooner or later. I think that a cohousing style development with a common house and perhaps seven smaller dwellings would be a good fit. My neighbors, some of whom are interested in pooling resources to buy the property, are interested. None of us knows much about cohousing; I recently checked out two books on the subject from the library. We are interested in having at least one below-market unit. I would like to see diversity of ages, as well as minimizing traffic impact and maximizing sustainability. Thanks.