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About Cohousing Generally

PBS NewsHour video segment February 12, 2017

Cohousing Communities Help Prevent Social Isolation
Saskia de Melker «» Groups in Denmark and the U.S. are choosing to live in intentionally intergenerational communities, which emerged to strengthen social ties between aging seniors and their younger counterparts who are balancing work and family. People living in them say the model fosters an interdependent environment and helps everyone feel more comfortable with the process of getting older. NewsHour exerpt

New York Times September 20, 2016

Modern Housing with Village Virtues
by Courtney E. Martin «» …Working families in the United States have many struggles today: expensive child care, not enough time to cook healthy meals, disconnection from nature, a sense of social isolation — what the sociologist Robert Putnam famously called “bowling alone” — and more. Older Americans, a booming population, often end up segregated generationally and in dire need of care and companionship.
What if there was a potential salve to all of these struggles? One that was introduced to Americans 25 years ago, but hasn’t yet gone to scale? Times article

AARP Livable Communities January, 2016

20 Questions and Answers About Cohousing
by Ellen Ryan «» …Strangers who decide to create a community and live in their own dwellings — yet share common spaces, activities and various aspects of their lives — are part of a growing movement referred to as “cohousing.”
… That’s the idea behind Takoma Village Cohousing, a 43-household condominium-townhouse complex near the Maryland border in northwest Washington, D.C. Since the first owners took residence in 2000, Takoma Village has solidified into a vibrant, self-governing community that’s home to activists; federal, nonprofit and private-sector workers; retirees; young parents and children who live and play on 1.4 acres of urban infill. AARP article

Kiplinger Retirement Report August, 2014

Living at Home, But Not Home Alone
by Sally Abrahms «» … three housing options let you age in place and preserve your independence.
… older individuals are looking for a new way to live. They still want to remain at home, but they long for a sense of community — surrounded by caring people who watch out for each other …
[The full article includes a reference to Mountain View Cohousing Community.] Kiplinger article

International Association of Homes and Services to the Aging Mulgrave, Australia: Graphic Image Studio July, 2014August, 2014

Architecture for an Ageing Population
A compilation of drawings and photographs from a variety of projects to illustrate the art and science of design for spaces used primarily by older people, assembled in a handsome large-format book.

The 23 examples include Mountain View Cohousing Community (starting at page 146) and also Wolf Creek Lodge cohousing in Grass Valley, and the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life in Palo Alto. You can see a preview of some pages, but not as far as those that show MVCC, by going to the link shown below. (You will be able to see a somewhat larger sample if you are able to log in with a Google account.)
Book description.

Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging February 4, 2014

Aging in Community: The Communitarian Alternative to Aging in Place
by Janice Blanchard «» … several new communitarian approaches … emphasize friends and neighbors supporting each other as they age, rather than aging as a solo journey. Collectively, these new pathways are leading to a new paradigm known as aging in community — a grassroots movement of like-minded citizens who come together to create systems of mutual support and caring to enhance their well-being, improve their quality of life, and maximize their ability to remain, as they age, in their homes and communities … American Society on Aging article

HappyCity.com: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design November 2013

How Urban Design Influences How Many Friends You Have
by Charles Montgomery «» Rob McDowell lived in a hip, luxury condo with a sweeping view of Vancouver, but he was miserable. A move within the same exact building complex changed everything about his life–and should change how we design our cities.… Fast CoExist article.

Cohousing Association of the US November 2011

Report on survey of cohousing communities
by Diane Margolis and David Entin «» In 2010, the Board of the Cohousing Association of the United States began a three-phase research project to better serve its existing constituency, assist those wishing to form new communities, and promote the value of cohousing. This report describes the first phase, an extensive survey to gain more information about existing cohousing communities, and a second phase of three open-ended questions… Survey of Cohousing Communities 2011.

Huffington Post 6/12/11 11:38 AM

Thriving in a post-consumerist society
by Duane Elgin «» What does a thriving way of life look like in a post consumerist society? Many aspects of a thriving future can be found by stepping into a contemporary co-housing community or eco-village … Huffington Post article.

Catya’s Blog Cohousing/US September 9, 2011 updated September 11, 2011

Who are cohousers, anyway?
by Rebecca Lane «» Do your friends and family ask you this question? I get it all the time. Who are these (fill in the blank) progressive, risk-taker, entrepreneurial, edgy, idealistic, wild bunch of people, anyway?? To begin answering this question, the Board of Coho/US completed a survey of 80 cohousing communities and their residents. Here is some of what was found… CoHo/US survey.

Greater Greater Washington (DC) August 18, 2011

More homebuyers want walkable, transit-served communities
by Dan Reed «» New research shows that a growing number of homebuyers are interested in walkable, transit-served communities, and are willing to sacrifice a bigger house for a better neighborhood. Last night, Joe Molinaro, director of Smart Growth and Housing Opportunity at the National Association of Realtors, and Shyam Kannan, director of research at real estate consultancy RCLCO, gave a talk on “Polls, Demographics and Demand for Smart Growth” hosted by the Coalition for Smarter Growth at the National Capital Planning Commission… CoHo/US on What homebuyers want.

Care2.com July 9, 2011

Excerpt from the book Creating Cohousing
by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett
…just as important as the use of sustainable materials are the social aspects of cohousing: the placement of cohousing communities within existing neighborhoods, the sharing of resources, and the positive group education around sustainability. This type of development brings social benefits —being close to friends and neighbors— as well as reduced consumption, all of which make cohousing a more sustainable lifestyle… Creating Cohousing excerpt.

About Mountain View Cohousing Community

Mountain View Voice February 7, 2012

Housing groups get a break in restoring old homes
by Daniel DeBolt «» With a few changes to city codes, the City Council is encouraging historic preservation and potentially saving the 19 households of the city’s first co-housing project as much as $674,000 in fees.… Mountain View Voice.

The Guardian (U.K.) November 7, 2011

Co-housing provides opportunity for more sustainable communities
by Leon Kaye «» Modern US attitudes towards community have been affected by the way we build our homes but co-housing, which shares space and resources, is challenging that… Guardian on Sustainable Communities.

Mountain View Voice October 19, 2011

Cohousing community taking shape in Mountain View
by Jeff Carr «» Designing one’s dream home is a lengthy process when 13 families have to agree on everything. So how does the Mountain View Cohousing Community expedite the process? Find six more families.… Mountain View Voice.

Palo Alto Online October 12, 2011

Cohousing community taking shape in Mountain View
Residents hope to occupy new homes by fall 2013… Palo Alto Online.

Man on the Earth Media October 7, 2011

Cohousing comes to Silicon Valley
by Cody Kraatz «» Kate Forrest wanted connection, a place to live out the rest of her life in one place and live it sustainably. She found all that and more in Mountain View Cohousing, an ambitious 19-unit development … Man on the Earth article.

Town Square Forum Palo Alto September 29, 2011

Cohousing project approved in MV
Three Palo Alto households … were delighted Tuesday night when Mountain View City Council approved 7-0 our application to build a new cohousing project. We’ve planned it, designed it, and now we’ll get to live in it!… Palo Alto on Line article.

Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association Newsletter June 9, 2010

Co-housing community planned for 445 Calderon
by Katherine Forrest «» Local residents are in the process of planning for a new “old-fashioned neighborhood” on a piece of property at Calderon and Velarde. This is a “first” for Mountain View, and it represents part of a growing interest in cohousing nationwide… Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association.

About Other Cohousing Communities

Information and blogs regarding cohousing in California

CalCoHo.org.

BusinessTribune Portland, OR March 2017

Retirees develop PDX Commons
by Jules Rogers «» … A four-story contemporary condominium building is going up along Southeast Belmont Street with a unique twist on who is doing the developing. “The thing that’s so different about this project is it’s being built by the people who are going to live in it,” said project founder Jim Swenson. … Portland Business Tribune.

The Monthly Oakland November 2013

Come Together: Cohousing and the art of neighborhood
by Madden Yee «» … The urge to be part of some kind of clan is an ancient one, wired into our DNA. For me and my husband, cohousing —folks deliberately choosing to live together in a neighborhood they’ve created— scratches that itch. In the late 1990s, when some members of our church invited us to join a cohousing project they were developing in North Oakland, we jumped at the chance. It seemed a great opportunity to care for the planet through sharing resources like cars and tools, to offer each other support as we raised children, and to contribute positively to the wider neighborhood… The Monthly article.

YubaNet.com December 14, 2011

Wolf Creek Lodge Wins Environmental Award
Wolf Creek Lodge Senior Cohousing Community, currently under construction in Grass Valley, CA, has been selected as the winner of the prestigious California State 2011 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for Sustainable Communities … Yubanet article.

Santa Cruz Sentinel September 2, 2011

Residents plan cohousing condos in downtown Santa Cruz:
Walnut Commons owners looking for the very neighborly
by J. M. Brown «» Walnut Commons is a proposed cohousing community that would include 19-21 private units in a three-story, green-certified building centered around a common living space, where neighbors would gather regularly for communal dinners, lectures, children’s activities and other programs. Professionals, artists, seniors and children are welcome… Santa Cruz Sentinel article.

Sacramento News & Review June 30, 2011

Living in the future:
Is Folsom co-housing project blueprint for sustainable communities?
by Seth Sandronsky «» Solar panels save energy, sure, but making a home truly eco-friendly depends a lot on location. Just ask Marty Maskall, project manager and future resident of Folsom EcoHousing, a 38-family, green-friendly community being planned 20 miles outside of Sacramento… Sacramento NewsReview.

Website of Wolf Creek Lodge

Green features of Wolf Creek Lodge
Energy efficiency … Passive solar heating … Passive cooling … Electricity use … Radiant heating … Solar hot water … Materials … Water use … Forestry … Air quality … Walkability … Minimum impact … Reduced driving … Landscaping… Wolf Creek Lodge website.

Website of FrogSong Cohousing Community

Frogsong Cohousing
…a community of 30 households located in Cotati, California, a small town roughly one hour north of San Francisco. Though we still have private lives, we’ve chosen to reside in this tightly knit neighborhood. We share 3-4 meals a week in our common house, which also provides laundry facilities and meeting space. We work together to maintain our lush landscape. We govern ourselves by consensus and resolve our conflicts through dialogue… Cotati Housing website.

Cohousing California

Links to various cohousing communities in California CalCoho.org.

About Other Cohousing Communities

TopReviewedTen [web page] Remodeling for elderly residents

Home Renovation for Aged Parents’ Well-Being
Survey of the many things that seniors can do to make their homes more comfortable and improve their living space as they age. Includes sections on: Risk factors; Modifications; Downsizing.
Home Remodeling Guide for Seniors.