Co-Housing

At its core, co-housing is a type of intentional, collaborative community where members actively participate in the design and operation of their neighborhoods. As described on the Co-housing Association’s website (http://www.cohousing.org/), “Co-housing provides the privacy we are accustomed to within the community we seek.”

Co-housing residents consciously commit to living as a community. In some cases, members design and build their own neighborhood; while in other cases, members identify an existing property or area and convert it to their needs. In all cases, however, the intention is that “the neighborhood’s physical design encourages both individual space and social contact. 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.”

Temple Emanuel is exploring how it can help members who are interested in this type of living situation find others who are similarly inclined, and together work through the issues of location, housing alternatives, and communal norms and expectations.

Here are a few resources to help you along:

Websites

Co-housing.org

Senior Co-housing

American Society on Aging

Articles

The New Retirement Resorts

Elder Co-housing A new option for retirement - or sooner!

The City of 2050 An Age-Friendly, Vibrant, Intergenerational Community

Livable Community Awards

Books

Aging in Community by In J. M. Blanchard & B. Anthony (Eds.)