What is cohousing?
The following information was taken from Cohousing.org
Background - The cohousing idea originated in Denmark, and was promoted in the U.S. by architects Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett in the early 1980s. The Danish concept of "living community" has spread quickly. Worldwide, there are now hundreds of cohousing communities, expanding from Denmark into the U.S, Canada, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and elsewhere.
Typical Characteristics - In a cohousing community, you know who lives six houses down because you eat common meals with them, decide how to allocate homeowners dues and gratefully accept a ride from them when your car's in the shop. You begin to trust them enough to leave your 4-year-old with them. You listen to what they have to say, even if you don't agree with them at first, and you sense that you, too, are being heard.
- Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods.
- Cohousing residents are consciously committed to living as a community.
- The physical design encourages both social contact and individual space.
- Private homes contain all the features of conventional homes, but residents also have access to extensive common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house.
Design of the Community -
- Cohousing communities are usually designed as attached or single-family homes along one or more pedestrian streets or clustered around a courtyard.
- They range in size from 7 to 67 residences, the majority of them housing 20 to 40 households.
- Regardless of the size of the community, there are many opportunities for casual meetings between neighbors, as well as for deliberate gatherings such as celebrations, clubs and business meetings.
- The common house is the social center of a community. They typically have:
- A large dining room and kitchen and lounge,
- Recreational facilities, children's spaces, and frequently a guest room, workshop and laundry room.
- Communities usually serve optional group meals in the common house at least two or three times a week.
Working Together - The need for community members to take care of common property builds a sense of working together, trust and support. Because neighbors hold a commitment to a relationship with one another, almost all cohousing communities use consensus as the basis for group decision-making.
The Six Defining Characteristics of Cohousing - While these characteristics aren't always true of every cohousing community, together they serve to distinguish cohousing from other types of collaborative housing:
- Participatory process. Future residents participate in the design of the community so that it meets their needs.
- Neighborhood design. The physical layout and orientation of the buildings (the site plan) encourage a sense of community.
- Common facilities. Common facilities are designed for daily use, are an integral part of the community, and are always supplemental to the private residences.
- Resident management. Residents manage their own cohousing communities, and also perform much of the work required to maintain the property. They participate in the preparation of common meals, and meet regularly to solve problems and develop policies for the community.
- Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making. Leadership roles naturally exist in cohousing communities, however no one person (or persons) has authority over others. Most groups start with one or two "burning souls." As people join the group, each person takes on one or more roles consistent with his or her skills, abilities or interests. Most cohousing groups make all of their decisions by consensus.
- No shared community economy. The community is not a source of income for its members. Occasionally, a cohousing community will pay one of its residents to do a specific (usually time-limited) task, but more typically the work will be considered that member's contribution to the shared responsibilities.
Typical Home Ownership Legal Structure - Most cohousing communities in the U.S. are structured as condominiums or planned unit developments (PUDs). In the "lot development model," residents jointly own the common property and facilities, and are the sole owners of the lot on which they build their single-family detached house. Sometimes residents in attached townhomes own just the land directly under their homes (the footprint), or perhaps the footprint plus a small back or front "private" yard.
Vision
To preserve Turtle Farm by creating a model of a diverse, sustainable, cohousing community. (details)
Contact Us
Angela Tedesco
- 515-278-4522
- 515-577-9208
Nancy Rambo
- 515-279-1043