Every spring CohoUS sponsors a cohousing open house weekend when many communities around the country open their doors to the curious. This year the dates are May 4–5, coming right up. For many communities, this may be the first time they’ve held an in-person open house since before the pandemic. Some are offering virtual open houses and some plan to hold both. This is a great opportunity to get answers to your questions about cohousing directly from people who live in these communities. Below is what’s lined up so far, but check back to see if more have been added.

Senior communities hosting in-person events this year:

• Elderberry Cohousing, Rougemont, NC (established)
• Heartwood Commons, Tulsa, OK (nearing completion/move-in)
• PDX Commons, Portland, OR (established)
• Wolf Creek Lodge, Grass Valley, CA (established)

Senior communities hosting virtual events this year:

• PDX Commons, Portland, OR (established)
• Quimper Village, Port Townsend, WA (established)
• Village Hearth Cohousing, Durham, NC (established)

There are many multigenerational communities holding open houses as well. In fact, some of them have a significant number of older residents. You can learn a lot from visiting any cohousing project, not just senior-focused ones. All cohousing communities have common wisdom and experience to share — from how a project is developed and how to recruit members to what policies guide their day-to-day life.

Find more information (times, topics, and a full list of open houses, both senior and multigenerational). 

Other ways to learn about cohousing

If you can’t make it to an open house, there are plenty of other ways to get educated and inspired about cohousing. Here are some ideas:

• Look at the cohousing directory on this website, then look at the websites of communities that interest you. Many of them have regular newsletters you can sign up for. Also watch videos communities have on their websites.
• Some communities offer in-person or virtual tours as often as monthly. Check the events calendar on this website.
• Take classes and workshops offered by CohoUS or FIC (Foundation for Intentional Community) . Check the websites for listings, under “Events” on this website and under the “Communiversity” tab on the FIC website.
• Consider attending monthly Zoom calls on cohousing — see “Coming up” in this issue.
• Register for CohoUS’s national conference Aug. 2–4 in Denver. Or at least take a peek at what will be offered.
• Find cohousing and other community-related books in the FIC bookstore.
• New book release! Prepare to dive into the groundbreaking world of community development with the release of Community Led Housing: A Cohousing Development Approach by Canadian cohousing experts Ronaye Machew and Margaret Critchlow. To learn more about them, take a free mini-course and order your copy of the book, visit https://www.communityledhousing.ca/.
• Also look at the senior cohousing page on this website. It lists books and other resources under “More Resources.”