Co-housing: A Living Arrangement That Stitches Together and Strengthens Community

An intangible yet vital premise: the fostering of strong personal bonds

The old adage “it takes a village” leads, I think, to a variation: “it takes a village to make a village.”

Wikipedia describes co-housing as “...an intentional, self-governing, cooperative community where residents live in private homes often clustered around shared space.” (1)

The Co-Housing Association of the United States extends the definition: “Cohousing is an intentional, collaborative neighborhood that combines private homes with shared indoor and outdoor spaces designed to support an active and interdependent community life. Cohousing is not a financial or legal model, but rather a descriptive term that emphasizes the active participation of residents in everything from design to governance.” (2)

Oak Park Commons in Oak Park, IL is set to become the first co-housing facility in the state. Structured and sold as private condominium units, the facility will have numerous common amenities: a kitchen and events and hospitality center, a play area for children, an exercise room, a rooftop garden, and a library, among other items. It is developing itself as an intergenerational community, to include infants and seniors alike. (3)

Most importantly, co-housing is predicated on what I think to be an intangible yet vital premise: the fostering of strong bonds of community and support among all residents. It is an organizational model for housing that deserves wider consideration – and implementation.

Footnotes:

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohousing

(2) https://www.cohousing.org/

(3) https://oakparkcommons.com/