What a difference a year makes
Birthing a cohousing community is a long, multi-year process. It took us 7 years to move from the start of development of Heartwood Commons – Tulsa to moving into our homes in the late summer of 2024.
What a difference a year makes!
Cohousing in Quebec
Bob Rabin, a member of CohoUS’s Seniors in Cohousing Committee, had an opportunity to visit an interesting cohousing community in Quebec, Canada. Cohabitat Neuville, established in 2019, is the second cohousing community in the province. The first, Cohabitat Quebec in Quebec City, was built in 2013. The following report shares Bob’s impressions of Cohabitat Neuville…. Read More
Get It Built: Gratitude Village Takes the Next Big Step Toward Creating Community
Last month, something powerful happened in Denver. When Charles Durrett, architect, author, and cofounder of The Cohousing Company, took the stage at Gather at Lakeside on September 18, the energy in the room was electric. More than 150 people came to hear him speak about cohousing, connect with one another and imagine a future where neighborhoods are designed for belonging and inclusion.
How do the physical and social aspects of housing shape the lives of older adults in senior communities? In her recent research, Nazin Bagherinejad, PhD, explored this question through the lens of Lawton’s Ecological Theory of Aging, which emphasizes the interaction between a person’s abilities and their environment. According to Lawton, older adults thrive when… Read More
This year alone, several articles about cohousing – and senior cohousing in particular – have appeared in national and local publications, including The New York Times and The Guardian. Increasingly, cohousing in it many forms is being recognized as a healthy way to live for all ages. It’s an especially great way for older people… Read More
Forming community in Portland, OR moves one step closer to creating mixed-income cohousing opportunities
Throughout the US, affordability in cohousing is an unresolved struggle, and one that leaves many incredible households unable to access this rich and reciprocal way of life. At Cathedral Park Cohousing in Portland, OR, we’ve been working since our earliest days to partner with local housing organizations and community land trusts to layer affordability into… Read More
Blue Columbine Cohousing: Where Connection Meets the Colorado Outdoors
Picture it: a warm summer evening in Wheat Ridge. You’re walking home from a potluck in the common house, where laughter and music spill out into the courtyard. The scent of tomatoes from the community garden mingles with the fresh air. Tomorrow morning, you’ll join neighbors for a bike ride along the Clear Creek Trail—or maybe a quiet cup of coffee by the natural pool. This is the life we’re creating at Blue Columbine Cohousing
Wolf Creek Lodge in Grass Valley, CA, is pleased to announce that they have two one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit currently for sale. Grass Valley lies in the heart of the historic California Gold Country northeast of Sacramento, the state capitol. Wolf Creek’s wooded hillside site in is bordered by free-flowing Wolf Creek, which… Read More
If you want to live in cohousing (senior or intergenerational), is it better to join an existing community or try to develop one from the ground up? While the answer may seem obvious in terms of which is easier, people who are attracted to cohousing “often want to be part of creating the dream,” says… Read More
Heartwood Cohousing: Planting New Roots Alongside Established Trees in Southwest Colorado
Imagine waking to the scent of Ponderosa pines, sunlight filtering through the trees, knowing a day of connection, shared purpose, and natural beauty awaits. This isn’t a distant dream; it’s the unfolding reality at Heartwood Cohousing
Building Smarter for Long Term Gains
Infrastructure, Affordability, and Energy Efficiency in Cohousing Projects By Charles Durrett, Principal Architect, AIA // The Cohousing Company Cohousing has long represented an inspiring model of intentional living—communities built on shared values, mutual support, and thoughtful design. But for many, the dream of living in a well-connected, energy-efficient neighborhood can feel out of reach due… Read More
As we encourage more people to consider living in cohousing, we love to emphasize the benefits. They include supportive neighbors, less space needed due to more sharing, and better ways to get our aging-in-community needs met in senior or intergenerational communities.
However, an oft-heard challenge when spreading the word is that it is “not affordable.” Our movement’s reliance on creating market-rate housing is part of what helps our communities get built and financed. It also provides an easy exit when someone wants or needs to move ⎯ they can sell their home and afford another home of similar size in a given housing market. But that doesn’t help someone who can’t afford to get in the door, and rental options in most U.S. cohousing neighborhoods are limited.
Given the dramatic increases in housing prices across the country (and the growing disparity in incomes), many have come to see cohousing as part of the problem. They see it as linked to a system that creates financial barriers for someone who isn’t already a homeowner or who didn’t luck out with a home purchase long ago.
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