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Future cohousing residents participate in regular site tour to check on the progress of their home. |
Multi-generational cohousing originated in Denmark in the early 1970's. This innovative environmentally sustainable neighborhood design came to the U.S. in 1988 with the publishing of the Cohousing book. Today over 75 completed cohousing communities provide more than 5,000 Americans with solutions to many of our most challenging social and environmental concerns. These cooperative neighborhoods created with the future residents themselves, balance the traditional advantages of home ownership with the benefits of shared common facilities and ongoing connections with your neighbors.
In Denmark the first cohousing communities were also multi-generational. Less than 20 years later, an age-targeted cohousing model began to emerge. Now there are over 200 completed elder cohousing communities in Denmark.
We are seeing a similar trend in the U.S. The first wave of cohousing communities here have been intergenerational. A second wave of elder cohousing groups are popping up all over the nation. Aging baby boomers are seeking a new environmentally sustainable housing option which provides both independence and community. Cohousing offers both in a supportive close-knit neighborhood where people can actively contribute during the last phase of their life.
All Cohousing Communities Share Six Main Characteristics:
- Participatory Process
- A Neighborhood Designed for Social Interaction
- Shared Common Facilities
- Non-Hierarchical Decision-Making
- No Shared Community Economy
For more on cohousing neighborhoods, please
click
here to download a Free Elder Cohousing Information
Kit.
The Cohousing Association
of the U.S. has
an extensive website specifically geared to multi-generational Cohousing.
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