CO-HOUSING
Articles
From cohabitation to cohousing: Older baby boomers create living arrangements to suit new needs Living preferences are changing, as are relationship patterns, such as greater numbers of mid- and late-life adults who are single, childless, or live at a distance from adult children. “Senior cohousing communities,” or SCCs, are a form of communal living that integrates common areas and private residences. They promote choice and independence, which are particularly important for the aging baby boom generation. – TheConversation.com
Grow Old Like ‘The Golden Girls’ We are finally beginning to understand that just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to shepherd people through their golden years. – NYTimes.com
What the Heck is Co-housing?: 3 Reasons to Consider Co-housing If you could, would you ever go back to undergrad and do the dorm life thing again? – ChangingAging.org
Cohousing: Consider Having a Senior Roommate! Can baby boomers and senior citizens make co-housing mainstream? What are the benefits of senior house sharing and are senior roommates right for you? – seniorly.com
A Home-Mate Is Not A Caretaker (But Can Make a Difference) A home-mate is a person who shares the home and has an independent life. While home-mates may help each other out, it is a reciprocal relationship where each gives and receives. – sharinghousing.com
Cohousing: The Power of Community What’s in community living for you? Why would you want to live in a community? What would you get out of it? Here are some relevant stories as well as specific information. – Tech-enhancedLife.com
Cohousing: The Secret to Sustainable Living? Back in the good old days, I’m told, people lived in neighborhoods where they looked out for each other. They had potlucks, kept an eye on each other’s kids, loaned out lawnmowers and cups of sugar. Each home was its family’s castle, but the instinct to participate in a caring community transcended the temptation to isolate in private houses.– Grist.org
What the Single Ladies Have Wanted for More Than a Century Joani Blank lives in a cohousing community in Oakland, Calif. Of 20 households there, she said, about 12 (including hers) are headed by single people. The community was founded 15 years ago, and 16 of its original members still live there. Residents prepare communal meals three times a week, and help one another in other ways; recently, one of Ms. Blank’s neighbors took care of her dog while she was away.— The New York Times
Other organizations
Books
Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities by Kathryn McCamant & Charles Durett The cohousing “bible” by the US originators of the concept.
The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living by Charles Durrett and Patch Adams This book is a comprehensive guide to joining or creating a cohousing project, written by the US leader in the field. The author deals with all the psychological and logistical aspects of senior cohousing and addresses common concerns, fears, and misunderstandings. He emphasizes the many positive benefits of cohousing.