We would like to say a big congratulations to Village Hearth Cohousing on their recent City Council approval!! On June 19th, 2017, the Durham City Council approved (with a 7-0 vote) a rezone and annexation to pave the way for the first LGBT-focused 55+ cohousing community in the United States.

Noting the need for inclusive and connected neighborhoods, co-founder Pat McAulay says, “It took many of us a lot of time to come out; many LGBTs wind up going back into the closet to safely get the care they need as they age. We want to be able to live comfortably, without having to hide any aspect of ourselves.”

Located a short 20-minute drive from downtown Durham, Village Hearth will be a lively and supportive 55+ community of lesbians, gay men, friends, and allies. It will consist of 15 beautiful acres with easy access to recreation, entertainment, and health care.

The rezone and annexation approval is a big milestone for the community, paving the way for Village Hearth to tackle the next phase of development—growing their membership and completing construction documents, so they can start construction in Spring 2018. The community recently completed a set of design workshops with Chuck Durrett of McCamant & Durrett Architects (see the renderings attached). CoHousing Solutions is providing development consulting.

The community members are excited to see their hard work coming to fruition. Village Hearth invites the public to a celebratory reception on Thursday, July 18, when they will unveil the architectural design for the community. The event will run from 5 to 8 pm at the Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W Cornwallis Rd, Durham, NC.

Construction on Village Hearth is expected to be complete by Spring/Summer 2019. For additional information about cohousing and the Village Hearth Cohousing project, contact Margaret Roesch by telephone at (561) 714-8009, or Pat McAulay via email at VillageHearthCohousing@gmail.com. To learn more about this exciting first for the LGBT community, visit their website at www.VillageHearthCohousing.com.

About CoHousing Solutions: We’re there every step along the way to help Village Hearth and communities around the country see their dreams become reality. Contact us via email at info@cohousing-solutions.com or phone (530) 478-1970.