YOUR july 2024 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

National Cohousing Conference, Neuro-Inclusive Cohousing Presentation in Nevada County, CA

Plus upcoming training events Study Group One (Aging Successfully), Affordable & Energy Efficient Cohousing

YOUR MID-june 2024 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Newt Crossing Common House Workshop

Newt Crossing Cohousing is excited to announce that their Common House Design Workshop with Charles Durrett will be July 20-21. This great group of folks with 17 acres right outside of Port Townsend, Washington, did an excellent Site Design in April, and still have a few homes available!  (Register here.)

Upcoming Events:

• Talks in Denmark & Iceland

• Monday June 24: Grundtvig & Cohousing at the Grundtvigskforum

• Sunday June 30: Lecture and Café at Skråplanet (one of the oldest bofællesskab in Denmark)

• July 3: Presenting our new book to the President of Iceland

• July 6–7: Looking for a new site for cohousing in San Francisco

• July 8: Replacing I-980: Cohousing for Community at Clio's Bookstore in Oakland, CA. Discussion on reclaiming spaces from highways and housing the homeless (Free event, RSVP here)

• July 20–21: Newt Crossing Common House Workshop (spaces available!)

• August 1–4: National Cohousing Conference (Senior Cohousing Facilitator Training Aug 1)

• August 6: Neuro-Inclusive Community Launch & Public Presentation (Northern California)

• Antioch Classes with Charles Durrett – Be sure to save your spot for Affordable & Energy Efficient Cohousing Design starting July 10

YOUR june 2024 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

2024 AIASF Housing+ Symposium – Building Tomorrow's San Francisco: From Legislation to Livability

AIA San Francisco in collaboration with the AIASF Housing Knowledge Community present the 2024 AIASF Housing+ Symposium on June 13, 2024. Join us for ongoing conversations that navigate the future of housing in San Francisco. Discover insights from frontline organizations on the City's latest legislative landscape and its implications for residential zoning and design. Delve into the efficacy of these laws in supporting vulnerable communities and explore innovative approaches leveraging land values and financial strategies to enhance housing accessibility. (Register here.)

The Evolution of Cohousing in the U.S.

Why Books Matter: The Importance of Literature in the Cohousing Movement

Upcoming Events:

• June 13: AIASF Housing+ Symposium – Building Tomorrow's San Francisco: From Legislation to Livability

• Talks in Denmark & Iceland

  • Monday June 24: Grundtvigskforum

  • Friday June 28: Vandkunsten (not open to public)

  • Sunday June 30: Skråplanet

  • July 2 or 3 (TBC): Presenting our new book, One Life, Live it, to President of Iceland

• July 6–7: Looking for a new site for cohousing in San Francisco

• July 8: Talk on book A Solution to Homelessness @ Clio's Bookstore, Oakland

• August 1–4: National Cohousing Conference in Denver, CO (Register here).

• Continuing Education Antioch Classes with Charles Durrett

YOUR april/may 2024 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Newt Crossing Site Design Workshop Was a Big Success!

Port Townsend, WA

Not so much of a site design workshop to work out where the houses will go, because there was only so much there, there. Like 1/4 of an acre for 6 new houses, 1/2 of an acre for all of the 8 houses and Common House. But surrounded by 17 acres of woods, so there’s plenty of beautiful world there. And even with so little room at the flat spot, the exact crescent took hours of consideration that we kept coming back to—until it finally clicked into place.

Neurodiverse Cohousing

The first neurodiverse cohousing in-person presentation in the U.S., based on our new book, One Life, Live It. New Village Press, New York, NY, due out Spring, 2025.

Going Back to Denmark

Presentations on Cohousing

Upcoming Learning Opportunities with Charles Durrett

With Antioch University Continuing Education

Upcoming Events:

• May 4-5: National Cohousing Open House Day

• May 5: Nevada City Cohousing Tour led by Charles Durrett 2–4PM @ 200 Redbud Way, Nevada City CA 95959

• May 23: The Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction's 2024 Future of Building Industry—Opportunities of an Aging Population—Charles Durrett as Keynote Speaker (Talk starts at 8:15AM)

• June 13: AIA San Francisco Housing+ Symposium—Charles Durrett as speaker and moderator

• July 8: Save the date - Talk on Solutions to Homelessness at Clio's Bookstore in Oakland, CA

• July & August: Antioch University Classes (more info below)

YOUR February 2024 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Neighborhoods in the Sky

The future of cohousing and the future of inner urban life design has to include the conversion of underutilized high-rise spaces to cohousing. Our firm has experience in repurposing empty office spaces, and I’m excited about the potential of revitalizing languishing big cities through inner urban cohousing communities. Cohousing groups will have a key role in repurposing vacant office buildings in downtowns.

Reports vary from 26% to 33% of high-rise square footage in San Francisco today falls below their highest and best use or stand empty. Seattle reports that 14% to 18% of floor area in high-rises are empty. That’s a lot of the constructed world sitting empty. Some of those spaces have been converted to childcare centers by our firm, about 20 altogether; we have repurposed high-rises over the years from San Francisco to Washington D.C.

AIA Monterey’s Housing Series

Cohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods

Date & Time: Tuesday, February 27, 6:00 P.M., Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Location: SandBox Sand City, 440 Ortiz Avenue, Sand City

Credits: 1.5 HSW

 In this session, you will learn from the leading architect and builder of cohousing globally. Durrett will impart his decades of experience so that you understand what cohousing is, how it’s designed, what its benefits are to the residents, and how it incorporates participatory design to promote more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable communities.

Go to Eventbrite to reserve your space.

YOUR JANUARY 2024 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

New Ground Cohousing Just Won World Habitat Award

One of the many highlights of my career was going to Britain to negotiate an agreement between the then considered developer, who ended up developing and building the project, and the New Ground Cohousing Group on how to proceed in order to get the project built.

They had been working on this project for eight years and hadn’t gotten anywhere. By spending time with both parties, it was clear that there was a big trust issue between the group and the developer, so I spent the rest of the day with both building mutual trust agreements. They moved in 2 years later, and now they have won the U.N.’s World Habitat Award, which I am so happy about. BRAVO!

Port Townsend Getting-It-Built Workshop

I’m pleased to announce that the new cohousing groups, Song Sparrow, Newt Crossing, and Puyallup Cohousing are coming together to put on a 2-Day Getting-It-Built Workshop on February 10–11, 2024 to start the process of creating these intergenerational cohousing communities.

This weekend workshop shares best practices and lessons learned throughout our over 35 years of experience, while also recognizing that each community is unique and each group needs to decide what approach makes the most sense for its specific location and situation. More cohousing communities have been started by the Getting-It-Built Workshop than by any other method in North America.

YOUR NOVEMBER 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Why I Moved from Hawaii to Oklahoma to Live in Cohousing - Susan’s smith story

In January 2022 I moved from Kona, Hawaii to Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. How can that be possible!? And how did I know that this would be a good move for me?

I discovered the concept of Cohousing back in 2014 when I attended a Study Group I Conference in Nevada City with Chuck Durrett. I was able to get the skills and confidence to be proactive about planning a successful retirement scenario. While I didn’t have all the details, I knew that if I ever got a chance to move into a cohousing development I would jump at the opportunity.

New Forming Cohousing Community in Port Townsend

We made some mistakes in our previous newsletter about the new forming cohousing community in Port Townsend, and we sincerely apologize.

Thank you very much to all of the organizers: Kate Nichols, Eva Holmes, & Liz Revord. If you’re interested in the new in-town project, please email Kate Nichols at katennichols@yahoo.com. If you’re interested in the out-of-town project, please email Eva at eva@olympus.net.

YOUR October 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Exhilarating, Exciting, Exhausting

Chuck Durrett's Trip to Europe, September 2023

Chuck spent the entire month of September 2023 traveling from Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, to UK for many presentations about cohousing and high-functioning neighborhoods, as well as visiting model communities like Sólheimar, Trudeslund, and many more.

East Van Cohousing Design Closure Workshop Recap

East Van Cohousing's Design Closure Workshop was a big success!

On the weekend of August 26th–27th, Charles Durrett of The Cohousing Company, consultant Amisto, and Little Mountain Cohousing hosted the Design Closure Design Workshop for the East Van Cohousing Group, and it was a great success!

This weekend was unlike any other Design Closure Workshop. In preparation for the workshop, we had been collaborating with Intelligent City – the local architect of the project, and they were a key contributor to the success of the workshop.

Early Bird Registration for Study Group One 2023

Study Group 1 - Aging Successfully in Senior Cohousing

Early Bird Discount through Sept. 20

Architect and pioneer of senior cohousing in North America, Charles Durrett (The Cohousing Company) will host Study Group 1 Aging Successfully (SG1) Online Facilitator Training this fall starting on October 4th, 2022.

The Training is in response to the failure of aging services (especially in housing) to respond effectively to a growing trend in older adults—the lack of community and their growing loneliness. This population desires and deserves more independence and control of their elderhood. The failure of these services results in too many of these capable seniors moving to assisted living before their time. In a community setting, these services are not required at all—community is better at "mutual benefits" and provides a higher quality of life.

The SG1 Facilitator Training is for anyone motivated to be part of a solution in the current senior housing crisis in the U.S. and around the world.

Wednesdays, Oct 4–Dec 6, 2023 9:30am–12:30pm PDT (3 hours)

Early Bird till Sept 20: $450 Regular Price: $550

YOUR AUGUST 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

East Van Cohousing Private House Workshop Recap

East Van Cohousing's Private House Workshop was a big success!

On the weekend of July 15th-16th, Charles Durrett and Nadthachai of The Cohousing Company, consultant Amisto, and Driftwood Cohousing hosted the Private House Design Workshop for the new East Van Cohousing Group, and it was a great success!

The group now has great momentum, and we are extremely excited to bring the Schematic Design to closure at the upcoming Design Closure Workshop.

Seeking Non-Profit and Group Members for New Community in Placer County

This is a great opportunity for a cohousing group and a non-profit partner that care deeply about building quality cohousing with a strong commitment to housing affordability. The Cohousing Company has entered into an “Exclusive Right to Negotiate Agreement” with Placer County for a wonderful 4.6 acre parcel. CHC recently conducted a feasibility analysis for this rolling oak woodland site, located in North Auburn, 30 minutes North of Sacramento and 1.5 hours to Lake Tahoe.

YOUR June 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

AIA SF Conference 2023 Recap

AIA 2023 Conference in San Francisco was a great success!

We are so grateful that our longtime partner, Vectorworks, invited us to present about Cohousing Communities, and how participatory design process can lead to more socially equitable and connected communities.

We would like to thank everyone who attended our presentation and contributed to such a lively and important discussion about how we can create a better housing development model that truly responds to the future residents' needs instead of the predictions by the market or the developers.

A Different Kind of Senior Community - Village Hearth Cohousing

The National Cooperative Bank highlighted Village Hearth Cohousing, the first LGBTQ cohousing community that we know of anywhere.

We are so proud to have been their architects. You can read their story HERE.

YOUR MAY 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

The Return of the Cohousing Company’s Blog

We are more than excited to announce that after a long hiatus, our Cohousing and Design Blog is now back on our website at: https://www.cohousingco.com/blog

Here you can find a collection of articles that we've written about cohousing, design, affordable housing, urban planning, and how they affect our issues of the day, including homelessness, global warming, diversity, loneliness, parenting, and growing older.

East Van Cohousing Site Design Workshop Recap

On the weekend of May 13th-14th, Charles Durrett, Amisto, and Vancouver Cohousing hosted the Site Design Workshop for the new forming cohousing community—East Van Cohousing, and it was a great success!

This workshop was the first participatory design workshop that the group participated in—following the Getting-It-Built Workshop in February—and they really came together as a group through meaningful brainstorm, discussion and consensus of who they are, who they want to be, and how their future cohousing community can help them best realize their goals and values.

YOUR APRIL 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

East Vancouver, BC Upcoming Site Design Workshop

The new cohousing that we are currently planning in East Vancouver promises to be state-of-the-art urban cohousing.

The community is located in Norquay Village, a fast-growing hub with several new and approved zoning applications to accommodate the growing population and need for densification.

We would like to invite you to join us and register for the Site Design Workshop on May 13–14. This workshop is where you can take part in designing your own future community and neighborhood—not brick by brick—but decision by decision. For more information about this workshop, please visit: https://www.eastvancohousing.ca/

Ramona Cohousing: Public Presentation March 16th Recap & Next Steps

About 100 people came to the public presentation on March 16th. Local schoolteachers, local environmental activists, retired folks, and folks with young families.

The next step is to find enough folks to host a 2-Day Getting-It-Built Workshop there to address the group process; the county planning process; the design process; the costs; and the rest. 

For more information, or to get involved, email Jim Hagey at jim@redleafvillage.com, Alan Ridley at weprosper2@hotmail.com, Joshua Alvord at josh.alvord@gmail.com, or Tim Jeffries at landhound1@gmail.com.

YOUR March 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Neurological Diversity in Cohousing

But what encourages me the most about cohousing, and Solheimar Ecovillage specifically, is their deliberate attempts to address neurological diversity, physical disability, classism, racism, sustainability and more.

The neighborhood level is just one place to address these issues, but it works well, especially in influencing children about tolerance, empathy, and developing healthy social connections with others.

Poland Update #9

Ukrainian kids, some orphans, getting a little bit of the love right across the border in Poland. The forth and last classroom in three different buildings.

I cleaned out the bank account today at Chase there was ten dollars and 94 cents left.

My month in Poland was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. But as you can see looking at these kids, how absolutely gratifying it was and is. Thanks for all of your support

Please visit our website to see more photos of this classroom HERE

YOUR February 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

SB 9, ADUs, Affordable Housing, & Community

The new Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) in California encourages infill and more affordable housing development. This will result in a more walkable towns—making places close to each other and allowing commerce to prosper and community to flourish. SB 9 reintroduces a more historical type of land use where people fit into affordable housing—literally stitching it right back into the fabric of the town.

East Vancouver Getting-It-Built Workshop Recap

We have 19 households attend the Getting It Built Workshop on Feb 11 and 12, where 16 have committed to proceeding to the next stage. These participants volunteered for various committees to advance the project: legal & finance, marketing, child care, membership & marketing.

We are in the final stages of negotiating a location for East Van Cohousing, and if this deal goes through, we plan to complete construction for move in 2026/2027.

For more information, check out their website at: https://eastvancohousing.ca/

YOUR january 2023 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

East Vancouver Public Presentation & GIB Workshop

Please spread the word to anyone you know (your email list) who might be interested in joining a new community in Vancouver, BC, or just wanting to know more about cohousing.

Location: Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2E2, Canada

For more information, please email camdore@gmail.com

Ramona, CA Public Presentation

Please spread the word to anyone you know (your email list) who might be interested in joining a new community in Ramona, CA, or just wanting to know more about cohousing.

Location: Ramona Community Center — 434 Aqua Ln, Ramona, CA 92065

Date & Time: March 16th, 2023 @ 6:00 PM

For more information, please email jim@redleafvillage.com

YOUR December 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Congress Progress

As you may know, we're making a push with the U.S. Congress to allow future residents of subsidized housing to play a role in the design and management of their affordable housing project (more like a cohousing community and potentially, in fact, cohousing). All 5 of the congressional offices that I spoke to in person said that they will need a lot more support from congress people in addition to those five (Adam Schiff, Mark Amodei, Ami Bera, Jennifer Wexton, and Jim Costa). While the lame duck congress is not the place to push right now, the New Year is (they have pressing priorities until January 2023). So please start your letters in January and bcc me.

Poland Update #8

Our office has spent November designing and drawing places for young children to grow and be nurtured—in a setting that can only be otherwise described as chaos. As of today, too many children have died in Ukraine due to Russian bombs, artillery, tanks, and bullets. Moms and Dads are not going to let their children be a part of this genocide and are removing their children from these risks every day. These kids have already seen too much. While there, I saw that in their eyes.

YOUR November 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Charles' Trip to Washington, D.C.

Charles’ Oct 17–18, 2022 meetings with five congress people and their staff, navigating how HUD subsidies could be used for cohousing projects, homeless projects, and other low-income projects, went very well, but they were just the first step.

The Problem: Currently it is difficult to work with the future residents when working on projects that use public funds. The current writing of Title 6 & Title 24 of the HUD guidelines discourage it.

The Solution: I met with the staff of five congress people in Washington, D.C. to encourage them to encourage participation. It facilitates community and therefore accountability and personal growth when they live in a high-functioning cooperative-by-nature neighborhood.

A Solution to Homelessness in Spokane Presentation Event Recap

There were 200 attendees on Thursday night for our public presentation, and 40 on Saturday morning ready to discuss the next steps and become part of the New Hope Task Force and part of the solution.

YOUR october 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

The Benefits of High-Functioning Neighborhood: Auburn Cohousing as Model Project

County officials reaching out to an aspiring cohousing effort is new to America, but very common in Denmark. It seems obvious that the county could play a significant role in positive neighborhood-making and they can. With that said, it is our honor that Placer County reached out to us, The Cohousing Company, and decided to include a cohousing community project in the masterplan of Placer County Government Center Dewitt site.

While too many children, families, and seniors are cast adrift in the conventional auto-oriented housing solutions, cohousing communities provide opportunities for people to connect with each other, care fore each other, and together live a healthier and more sustainable lives.

A Solution to Homelessness in Spokane Presentation November 3rd at Whitworth University

New Hope Resource Center and Whitworth University are partnering to host this event, and we invite you to join us to learn, discuss, imagine, and begin implementing solutions to the homeless crisis North of Spokane. Let’s spread the word of caring and sharing with others - we all need hope and more possibilities for housing, especially affordable and supportive housing.

YOUR september NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Cohousing Conference in Madison, WI Recap

This year's cohousing conference in Madison was a great success!

From the pre-conference intensive to the multitude of information sessions by the cohousing professionals and experts, the 2022 Cohousing Conference was overall a rich, inspiring, and learning experience for us here at The Cohousing Company. 

The Importance of Participatory Design in Cohousing

No matter what other people tell you—be it developers, architects, development consultants, marketers, or project managers—the group participation in design is the number one indicator of success in cohousing community. It is the only way that you can design to best represent the culture of the group—and not just who they are now, but also who they want to be.

How to start affordable cohousing

September 13, 20, 27, & October 4, 2022

4-part LIVE ONLINE Program / $250

Tuesdays September 13, 20, 27, & October 4, 2022

9:30 – 11:30 am (Pacific Time) / 12:30 -2:30 (Eastern Time)

Charles Durrett will impart his decades of experience so that you can create, finance and maintain the affordability of your dream residential community. 

Learn all about cohousing! What it is, why it is meaningful, and how to create or join your own cohousing community. This online course will use discussion, presentation, participatory activities , as well as guided independent learning to explore the concept and practice of cohousing.

Sign up here: https://continuinged.antioch.edu/course/AUO%20SA%201001_112440132/

YOUR August 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Cohousing Conference in Madison, WI

Join us in Madison, WI this August, for our first in-person conference since 2019. The main conference is 8/26-28 with pre-conference intensives and tours 8/25-26.

Together, we will gather and share the skills needed to build and sustain our communities.We will learn and grow among a supportive community of seekers, community members and professionals.

Cohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods

We are more than excited to announce that the new definitive book, Cohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods,  is now available for preorder through Wiley and Amazon for only $39.95.

The book will also be available to purchase for the first time at the Cohousing Conference in Madison, WI author's showcase, where Charles will be presenting and hosting a book-signing as well.

YOUR June 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Public Presentation on Our Effort in Creating Childcare Facilities in Poland for Young War Refugees

There is a huge need to stem the tide of chaos and stress for the young war-torn Ukrainian children, and to mitigate it with warm and nurturing environments.

The good management of Heartwood Eatery, located on Commercial St, Nevada City, read of this project—Durrett Childcare Initiative—and asked that I do a short 1-hour synopsis of what it was like, what we were able to accomplish, and what is next. 

Newfoundland Cohousing Updates

The Cohousing Company has been working closely with the Newfoundland Cohousing group in Canada, and the in-person design workshops at the end of May were great. Prior. to these in-person workshops, we have led two virtual design workshops—Defining Site Activities and Defining Places—using Zoom, Conceptboard, and our most recent book Community-Enhanced Design.

YOUR march 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Auburn Cohousing: Affordability Model

The Cohousing Company recently hosted a progress workshop with the Auburn Cohousing following the meeting we'd had with Placer County. Both the county and the group shared the same enthusiasm in making this project a community that is both high-functioning and affordable.

This is the first cohousing project in America where county officials reached out to an aspiring cohousing effort and offered their help to make the project affordable to all levels of income. What's more, the county also wants this project to be a model project for future housing and neighborhood development, as they recognize the benefits that a cohousing can bring—not only to its residents, but also to the whole county

These incentives resonate deeply with the whole group, and they are currently working hard to expand their numbers, gather their momentum, and move the project forward.

YOUR February 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Loving Cohousing Conference: Love in the Age of Covid

The Cohousing Association of the United States is hosting a Zoom Conference on February 19th, 2022 on the topic "Loving Cohousing

For most people, being more connected to others is a main motivation for living in cohousing, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. This event will review topics and tools helping you keep love alive in your community. 

Charles Durrett will be presenting and leading discussion on the topic "Love in the Age of Covid." He will be sharing insights from his new book Community-Enhanced Design: Cohousing and Other High-Functioning Neighborhoods related to how Cohousing alleviates isolation, especially in light of the pandemic. The talk will discuss previous patterns of social connection and how cohousing communities are adapting to covid, such as greater numbers of people working and studying from home. How to be socially distanced when necessary, but not necessarily socially isolated?

YOUR january 2022 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Bringing Community Back to Chickahominy Tribe

In June 2021, we had our first trip since March 3, 2020, to Virginia to work on a new childcare center design for the Chickahominy Indian Tribe. By June 25, 2021, the design criteria/program were compiled and then the application set to the Administration of Children & Family by September 1, 2021. We are expecting the funding of this childcare center to be approved soon and then to start the serious design.

While we were visiting the tribal property, the chief of Chickahominy said,

“We need to get back to elders sharing with generations coming up. We want the seniors right next to the childcare center so that they can at least have lunch together in order to share the wisdom of generations before.”

In addition, they seriously believe that the surrounding community is also in need of help. They hope that the new facility will have a positive influence beyond the tribal center. Therefore, we are proposing a senior rich cohousing community onsite next to the childcare center.

limited print run of community-enhanced design

Community-Enhanced Design: Cohousing and Other High-Functioning Neighborhoods just became available on Amazon.com and our website as a limited print run for $69.95.

As more and more countries are embracing cohousing with both arms, it is worth knowing what the best of the best cohousing looks like, and why they are the best. This book is about the best practitioners worldwide—and why their projects are so successful. In other words, people want to do cohousing and neighborhoods right—because if you don't, too much humanity is left on the table..

What keeps ringing back to me is all of the Danes that appealed to us to "please do bofællesskaber right in the US. Don't mess it up. Keep the integrity."

Well, that's what this book is all about

Antioch University 4-Part Live Online Program:  Classes' Order Correction

How to Address Homelessness in America

March 2, 9, 16, &23, 2022

Register here

Cohousing: And Your Community

April 13, 20, 27, & May 4, 2022

Register here.

YOUR December 2021 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Anna Got Her Rake - A Prologue to Community Organizing

Eugene Oregon has the highest rate of homelessness of any city in the United States. While there are a number of factors that contribute to this seemingly insurmountable issue, from drug addiction, lack of education, mental illness, we still believe that it is an issue that can be overcome. Like every problem in our lives, a solution has to start somewhere, and in this case, we believe that it must start with community organizing.

Community organizing not only creates a sense of belonging and empowerment to people who are currently without a house at all, but it also creates an opportunity for an open dialogue that allow other people to hear their stories and see them as human beings, instead of being criminalized and dehumanized by outdated laws and false narratives. This is what we tried to achieve when we spent three days at Washington-Jefferson Park in Eugene.

After hearing about the tension between the people who live inside the park and the residents in the surrounding neighborhood, we decided to spend three days to see if progress could be made. On the first Sunday we learned about the problems from neighbors and park residents. On the next Saturday, we started our day by talking to the residents of the Washington-Jefferson Park in detail about potential solutions.

It was both refreshing and saddening to hear their voices and narratives, their tone shifted from joyous to distressing when some described their loving childhood in comforting homes compared to their current living situation now. We asked them if they would be willing to have a community meeting with their neighbors from the houses surrounding the park on the following day, so not only can they hear these stories, but also talk about how they can promote a healthy relationship together. While some people took time to think about it, they all eventually agreed to show up.

YOUR November 2021 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Cohousing Post Pandemic

Seventy-four percent of the population get a significant sense of community and daily company from their workplace. Camaraderie, Friday night beers, relationships big and small. I know that I have over the years. The number one indicator for longevity is daily interaction. Howdy to the postman; to the delivery person; coworker a, b, and c; and neighbors. Number two is community connections—who can I depend on to bring me a bowl of chicken soup when I have a cold?

The pandemic shifted that and many of the associated rituals that went with it like listening to your favorite talk radio on the way to work or reading the paper or books on public transit. We had about 30 of the 54 residents in Nevada City Cohousing that worked entirely or partially during the pandemic at home. But we also had 7:00 pm music playing, 6:00 pm common dinners and potlucks (separated of course). Cohousers are clever and responsible. Planting and harvesting at 8:00 am, farmer’s market on Thursdays at 5:30 pm, and plenty of get-togethers, in the way of walks, meetings and even outdoor movies in between. Masked and separated. At Nevada City Cohousing we say that we are socially distanced, but not socially isolated.

YOUR OCTOBER 2021 NEWS & UPDATES ON COHOUSING

Community-Enhanced Design: Cohousing and Other High-Functioning Neighborhoods

Our new book Community-Enhanced Design: Cohousing and Other High-Functioning Neighborhoods just became available on Amazon and Kindle for a special price of $12.95 during the next 2 weeks (you can read it on any device). If you need help to download this book on any of your devices, please see this Kindle Download & Access Guide, or feel free to contact Nadthachai at nadthachai.kong@cohousingco.com.

This book is about hundreds of projects that have been designed with community as the paramount priority. It tells the complete story, from start to finish, how to successfully design anything where community is the emphasis. It is clearly delineated, with “how to” examples, and is designed to help the next generation of architects grab and go with designing for communities.

Your July 2021 cohousing news & updates

Auburn Cohousing, Placer County, California

Clarion Call:

for people interested in Auburn, CA Cohousing.

Despite high home prices across the country, there is still economical cohousing out there, and I believe there will be more in the future (see upcoming book by Charles Durrett, et al., Community-Enhanced Design). But the best way to get in on economical cohousing is always to get in on the ground floor. July 13, 2021 is the big kick-off event for cohousing in Auburn, CA, and this project will go forward if we have more than 50 people interested in Auburn Cohousing. We are already expecting a turnout of about 50 locals who just want to see how the initial meeting goes, including many county employees. We encourage all interested people to attend! This project was started by Placer County officials who have seen that cohousing communities are indeed very high-functioning neighborhoods and see the benefit to regional land-use modeling.

Your summer 2021 cohousing news & updates

Chickahominy Indian Tribe Childcare Center, Providence Forge, VA

In a recent trip to Virginia (my first trip since March 3, 2020) I got to work with the Chickahominy Tribe to begin designing a new childcare center and future senior housing village. It was nothing less than one of the most remarkable experiences I have ever had. They are the warmest and sweetest people ever—never fought the Europeans although they are just a few miles from Jamestown, settled in 1607. Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, who was the chief of 30 tribes including the Chickahominy Tribe. The present-day chief of Chickahominy laid pearls of wisdom on me, embedded with clear intent, every couple of minutes in our conversations. “Chuck,” he told me, “Our tribe had two people die in nursing care (not COVID related) over the last year and that is just not who we are.

Your April 2021 cohousing news & updates

Good spring good people. May the pan-damn-demic wane precipitously, but may we continue to take the precautions necessary to protect each other. We are all tired of wearing these darn masks but wear them nonetheless as if your very future depends on it. Every time we get just a little cavalier we get bit in the butt.