Plans are underway for our 2nd annual National Cohousing Open House Day, the last Saturday in April.

Such synergy we created last year – as a national movement, within our network of area communities, and within our individual communities! We enjoyed participation from 95 communities across the country who opened their doors and welcomed the public. 2017 should be even bigger!

Open houses are great opportunities for communities to recruit members and educate the public, but coordinated open houses across the country have the potential to exponentially increase the amount of attention these events receive. We want cohousing to become mainstream. We want the ideas, the models, the principles, the culture of cohousing to influence the conventional wisdom of residential development. The National Open House Day is an opportunity to raise visibility about cohousing in a major way. From our April 30, 2016 inaugural Open House Day:

It was like a party! I was an informal greeter and met so many interesting and lively people. Maybe….our society is beginning to think realistically and creatively about housing. ST, Acequia Jardin (Albuquerque)

It gave us a chance to show off our beautiful community, and find potential buyers for current homes for sale, but also setting seeds for the future. More people now know about us and know more about cohousing. Katie McCamant, Nevada City Cohousing (California)

The add on events and creative activities were impressive, from meals, to kids activities, to workshops on renewable energy and sociocracy. Green Grove Coho in Oregon hosted a live bluegrass jam along with family-friendly cooperative games, crafts and demos. Burlington East Village in Vermont offered crafts, music, a pre May Day parade, and a pot luck dinner. Many communities collaborated regionally, from hosting forming groups to sponsoring joint events.

For Visitors, click here for the list of participating Communities. No need to make reservations, just plan to visit!

For Communities, we’d welcome your participation! Click here to learn more here. Later this winter, we will promote your community as “open for visitors” with links to your event. There is no cost to communities, nor will there be a cost to the public. Coho/US is providing the national framework and online marketing for your event to be a success. Funding for this event are made possible by your annual community donations. We hope you will join us!

Click here for a great flyer to post.

Alice Alexander, Coho/US Executive Director