The Audacity of Cohousing

The inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President is one of two indicators that dramatic change is upon us! His election signals a new direction for our country and the rise of hope by many who felt left out and in the wilderness in recent years. The other major change is the economic meltdown and accompanying recession, if not depression. Critical immediate results have been millions of people losing their jobs, record numbers of home foreclosures, severe tightening of credit, diminution of savings and investment for retirement, growing difficulty of middle and lower income families to meet their needs, and inability of food programs to feed the increasing number of hungry people across the country. Does this changed landscape have implications for cohousing communities and the cohousing movement? What might we do to respond to these challenges?

Cohousing represents the spirit of working together to form a neighborhood and build a community. This contrasts with the central tenet of now somewhat discredited unfettered capitalism, which relies on individuals struggling in competition to fulfill selfish greed. The excesses of market capitalism striving for ever more wealth and material possessions regardless of risk or moral cost, without being balanced by government regulation or concern for the commonweal, led to the current precipitous fiscal collapse of the worldwide economy. Cohousing residents genuinely care for their neighbors and make decisions that consider the impact on the community. This is not to pretend that human selfishness is absent from cohousing, for these aspects of basic human nature cannot be denied or wished away. But cohousing strongly values the common good and governance that involves the entire community in decision-making. It is egalitarian rather than top-down. It is an attempt to install values and methods of operation that are different from the more common components of our economy which are often hurtful and leave too many struggling to survive. Cohousers are concerned about the environment and want to use fewer resources and lower their carbon footprint on the earth.

Cohousing can respond to the current dramatic changes in several ways. One is to more clearly operationalize our caring spirit. How can we help those in our community that have been particularly hurt by the economic downslide? Are there neighbors who are having trouble meeting mortgage payments, losing their jobs, or having difficulty putting food on the table for their household? What can we do as friends and neighbors to help them, from looking after children while they search for jobs to providing some meals or food. Can we actually help a family who can no longer meet their mortgage payments? We can think “outside the box,” perhaps providing a loan that can be repaid over time or at point of resale. A more radical approach might be to consider small-scale income sharing. We can grow more of our own food, share cars, collect rainwater, raise animals and become more self-sufficient and environmentally sensitive in additional ways. Cohousers can strengthen relationships and friendships and demonstrate that a happy life is not dependent on material goods.

People living in cohousing could also work to support the cohousing movement as an antidote to the recent excess capitalism. Cohousing is a means to create more sustainable communities that promote sharing resources, equipment, and goods, everything from yard tools to car pooling. Cohousing provides real examples of more green living. Community gardening and cooperative methods can be more widely shared. Cohousing communities can offer their example and provide leadership in their surrounding cities, towns, counties, etc, for more economical, shared, and green living. This can help our nation and world address concerns about global warming and sustainability.

The Cohousing Association of the United States is the national organization that works to promote cohousing and grow the movement. Local cohousing communities can support their national association through monetary contributions and volunteering. The national association is working to support and enrich existing and forming cohousing communities. Additional resources and people help can increase the outreach and effectiveness of the cohousing movement. In a time combining both crisis and hope, cohousing can offer some answers for our country. Our cooperative spirit and democratic and egalitarian methods are what is needed by our society at this time! Let us consider what we can do now. Let us spread the word about what the cohousing movement can offer our times.