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Cohousing began in Denmark in the 1970's. The intent was to create the kind neighborhoods with a strong sense of community that were once common. In the 1980’s cohousing was introduced to the United States. There are now hundreds of cohousing communities in the U.S.
Cohousing neighborhoods are designed to foster community and cooperation while preserving privacy and independence. As cohousing residents, we all share a desire and intention to live in close connection with our neighbors. We planned, designed, and now manage our own community. We each own a private home on a private lot. We also share a great many amenities including common house, greenhouse, community garden, workshop, yurt, hen house, tractor, tennis and pickleball court, and 350 acres of open space. |
Kids grow up connected to Nature: the land, critters of all sorts, and plenty of free, unstructured outdoor play time.
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"Circling up" for a Friday night potluck on the common house terrace. Breaking bread together is one of the keys to building strong neighborhood connections.
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Somewhat ironically, cohousing attracts more introverts than extroverts. Perhaps that's because cohousing provides the opportunity for deeper relationships right out the door of your quiet, private home – no need to engage in a lot of small talk at social events with people you don't know.
There's an abundance of good information available explaining cohousing and sharing stories from cohousing communities. We've compiled some of our favorite resources here on this page. They give insight into life in cohousing, address some of the commonly held concerns about cohousing, and talk about how cohousing fits in with society at large. These excerpts from Cohousing-L, the cohousing email discussion group, were written by people living in cohousing. |
Videos
- Cohousing: The Best of Both Worlds (27 minutes)
PBS affiliate KVIE explores the concept of cohousing through first-hand observation and interviews.
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What is Cohousing? (2 minutes)
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Community at Jamaica Plain Cohousing (3 minutes)
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PBS NewsHour: Cohousing Communities Help Prevent Social Isolation (9 minutes)
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TEDxABQ
Dr. Erica Elliot Cohousing: Community at it's Best (10 minutes) |
Cohousing Families: Raising Children in Community (13 minutes)
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TEDxCherryCreekWomen
Trish Becker-Hafnor Cohousing: The Future of Community and Human Connection (15 minutes) |
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Websites and Articles
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Heartwood loves to party. Here are a bunch of scary hooligans at one of our Halloween parties.
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