FADE IN:

INT. COHOUSING CONFERENCE ROOM, DAY

Are you starting a cohousing community and want to know where to start? Do you live in an existing community, and want to revisit your mission?

Sign up for the "Telling Your Community Story" half-day intensive workshop by Alan O'Hashi

For startups, some will say tie up the land first, which is true. Some will say have a meeting to get people interested, which is true. Some will say, get an architect, which is true.

My community is hosting the Northeast Cohousing Summit! Come learn about how to develop a cohousing group or help your existing community thrive through changing times. Or just enjoy networking with some kindred spirits - that is the part I like best about the many cohousing conferences I've attended. I always come away from cohousing conferences with renewed enthusiasm for my community and my architectural design work.

There is a senior housing crisis in this country. In the United States, traditional senior housing options aren’t meeting the needs of older adults. Many attempts to put seniors in community have proven to work short term, but funding and employee retention continue to strain these organizations. Senior support, like Meals on Wheels, drains local economies and is constantly at risk of being dropped, which could leave seniors without access to proper nutrition and socialization.

Why can't we all just get along?

Some percentage of people who join a cohousing community do so because they want everyone to "just get along". Idyllic images of not just knowing your neighbors, but also of really liking to hang out with your neighbors flutter through our heads.

And then we move in. Or maybe the first break with that image happens before move-in. Maybe its an email that sets it off, or something that happens with the kids and you have different views of what to do about it or even different views as to what happened.

I recently returned from the Coho/US Regional Conference in Boulder, CO and I’m still high on the vitality that we shared the entire weekend. Wherever you looked, the almost 200 attendees were talking intently, meeting new people, sharing experiences, hopes, and dreams for the future. Plus it all felt positive, even when we discussed challenges, like managing conflict. What was evident all weekend was the “community” we all strive for - new, old, seeking, building, and living it. There was a fervent sense that this is what is needed right now. It was such a welcome and welcoming feeling.