Association News

“If we agree that in cohousing a well-functioning common-meal system is fundamental to a strong sense of community, how can we help new communities create an effective common-meal system as they plan their life together in their future home? How can an established community modify its common-meal system, should it start to unravel?”

Five areas of focus. An amazing 55 presentations – more than ever before. Meals included. Fabulous dormitory accommodations with games, a kitchen and gathering areas downstairs. Author and Design-Build Architect John Abrams. Swing music at dinner with dancing afterward. A video introduction to cohousing. New friends and old friends. The best community gathering the nation has ever seen.

Haven’t registered for the conference yet? Seriously? Don’t miss it, discounted registration is almost over! For four days in Boston’s Waltham community at picturesque Bentley College, folks representing cohousing communities from across the country, as well as those just getting to know cohousing for the first time, will gather to feed or reignite their passion with informative presentations, workshops, community tours and social events.

We came up with a bakers dozen of reasons why you need to be at the June Cohousing Conference in Boston.

Architect Grace Kim has joined the Coho/US Board. Grace Kim is an architect and co-founding principal of Schemata Workshop, a five-person architectural collaborative in Seattle.

The CD of Katie McCamant’s December webinar on financing cohousing has been produced and is ready to order.

The presentation is just over an hour and a half long. It is a movie of the full webinar with the complete Powerpoint presentation and the full audio recording of the talk given by Katie on December 3, 2007.

The National Cohousing Conference has traditionally drawn a large crowd of folks who are searching for answers, advice, connections and community. This year the conference will also address cohousing’s most valuable resource: those already living in community. The 2008 conference experience is geared toward helping those of you who’ve been living in community – whether for months or years or decades – to enrich your lives and the life of your group as well as to connect with each other.

Your board is delighted to welcome three new members: David Entin, Diane Margolis, and Terri Furman!

Reserve your spot soon and get the best deal on limited on-site housing. Early-bird registration is $195 per person for the main conference program, with lodging an unbelievable $30 per person per night on campus. Sign up beginning next week!

The cohousing.org website has a new look and feel. Learn a little about how it works as well as a little about our plans for the site and how much we'd like to hear what you'd like on the site.

What's happened to the CD of Katie McCamant's webinar on financing cohousing?

The December 3 Webinar of Katie McCamant’s “Investing in Sustainability: Financing Cohousing” was very well received by its attendees. In answering evaluation questions at the end of the webinar, 92% of the respondents rated the webinar content as Excellent or Good. And 88% said that they would Absolutely or Very Likely recommend a webinar to other people.

It is with great pleasure that the Cohousing Association of the United States Board of Directors announces the hiring of an Executive Director. We are delighted to have Craig Ragland fill this newly created part-time paid position.

Live events, such as the upcoming Cohousing Conference are an excellent way for cohousing groups to gain valuable information and insights for creating healthy communities. However, for those who can’t wait – or simply can’t afford the trip – the Cohousing Association is pleased to offer another educational opportunity: online “webinars.”

Coho/US is always looking to partner with regional groups and events that are fostering cohousing.

Mark your calendars for June 12 – 15, 2008, for the national conference to be held at Bentley College in Waltham, MA. Twelve miles from all that downtown Boston has to offer, charming Waltham itself boasts restaurants for every taste, as well as galleries, shops and an independent movie theater. A quick shuttle ride to Harvard Square connects you with the T – Boston’s mass transit system – to take you anywhere you want to go in the greater Boston area. The rolling hills of Bentley’s small, private campus are a picturesque setting for modern conference conveniences, from wireless Internet and projection-ready rooms to great dining options and apartment-style accommodations.

As many of the requests on the cohousing List-serve demonstrate, when a community has to draw up an LLC agreement, bylaws, pet policies or other documents, they often ask if anyone would share what their community has created. Those same appeals come up time and again, with mixed results. The recent creation of the Wiki is another attempt to learn from the successful practices of successful communities.

The date and location of the 2008 National Cohousing Conference has been determined: June 12 – 15, 2008, at Bentley College in Waltham, MA, 15 minutes west of Boston.

Two areas are targeted for regional gatherings in Fall 2007. Coho/US hopes to see one event taking place in Massachusetts (Boston area) on Saturday, September 15, and one in Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area) at an early September date still to be announced.
We are seeking three or four people in each area to plan these events.

The Cohousing Association of the United States has adopted a new strategic planto guide its efforts and focus through 2009.

Barbara Lynch became the President of the Board of Directors of Coho/US in January 2007. Barbara and her husband live in Pleasant Hill Cohousing in Pleasant Hill, CA, having been founders of that community.