Finding Cohousing

CompassLooking for a community? Try our Cohousing Directory, or our Classified ads

Some of the things to think about in looking for a possible cohousing project to join: Do I have a specific or a preferred location in mind, or am I flexible? Would I be more comfortable in a larger or a smaller community? Would I like to live in an urban community? Or rural, or suburban, or college town? How viable is this forming group likely to be? What kind of group decision-making process will I be most comfortable with, or am I fine with whatever the group uses? Am I okay with their workshare and common meals policies?

There are just some of the points to consider when you're trying to find a cohousing community that is a good match for you. Our contributors have covered many of them in the posts below, and the cohousing-related resources can help with others. Also, you can learn a lot from the Cohousing-L listserv (link below), both from its archives and from current discussion threads.

If a tour isn’t feasible, visit a community on your own. Shown is Puget Ridge Cohousing in Seattle. (Photo by Graham Meltzer) One of the best introductions to cohousing is visiting existing...
Tags: Tours
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Adapted with permission from Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community (New Society Publishers, 2007). If you’d like to join an already-built cohousing community, each...
Tags: Tours
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By Diana Leafe Christian   Fostermamas (see blog entry below) also mentioned that their family is multi-generational and multiracial. And on June 27th, Annette wrote a...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   If you want to join a cohousing community, in my experience there are at least two ways to plan visits to likely existing communities and/or...
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Diana Leafe Christian   What happens when a cohousing community changes in values, lifestyle, and “community culture” over time? And how might this affect you as an a new...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   Friday night (7/25), I gave a talk at the "Community Seeker's Fair" which kicked off the NICA Gathering here in Portland (described...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   If you’re looking for a cohousing core group or existing community to join, you’re probably thinking about what you want. You may also be...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   Right now I'm at the NICA Annual Sumner Gathering in Portland, Oregon. NICA, the Northwest Intentional Communities Association, is the largest...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   “The results of this water test are enough to make the hair on the back of anyone’s neck stand up!” the scientist at the testing lab told my...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   If you’re looking for a forming cohousing community, learn to “read between the lines” in directory listings and websites. • I observed in my...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   If a cohousing community uses the word “ecovillage” in its name, is it really an ecovillage? What does that mean, anyway? Today I got an...
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By Diana Leafe Christian   This blog entry is in response to Craig's Forum comment on June 4th in the "Researching Your Community" Forum about "Do-...
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