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Cohousing has existed in Europe for over twenty years.  Recently, cohousing has crossed the Atlantic and as many as 150 cohousing communities have been built or are being planned in the U.S., including an increasing number in Portland and the Pacific Northwest.

Common cohousing features:

• Cohousing communities are planned and run by residents who make decisions together, usually by consensus.
• A balance of common areas and private housing is designed to encourage social interaction while respecting privacy.
• Shared meals are available in the common house 3 to 5 times a week.
• Each household lives in its own fully-equipped house or apartment.  Joint planning results in shared resources and economies of scale.

Cohousing to us means community: child-friendly, elder-friendly, sociable living; cooperative interaction; a chance to make long term personal connections with neighbors who share many of our values. In many ways we’re like an extended family more than a neighborhood.

Some specifics to think about: Living in community takes time; there are particulars below about how much. It also takes well being and emotional maturity to thrive in community – and it helps to have a social network outside CEV. Moving in can be like starting school, or a new relationship: it takes a while to adjust to new rhythms, new requirements, and many new friendships.

Portland Area cohousing and intentional communities

Portland is rich with intentional communities of all kinds. If you are looking for a unit to rent or buy in Portland, please consider these other communities.

Cascadia Commons     www.cascadiacommons.com

Daybreak Cohousing  www.daybreakcohousing.org

Peninsula Park Commons   www.penparkcommons.org

Trillium Hollow Cohousing  www.trilliumhollow.org

Kailash Ecovillage   www.kailashecovillage.com

Resources

McCamant & Durrett Architects/The Cohousing Company (http://www.cohousingco.com)

Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett (2011) To order: http://www.newsociety.com/Books/C/Creating-Cohousing

Charles Durrett (2009), Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living. The Handbook. New Society Publishers. To order: http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/4040

www.cohousing.org
This website contains many current resources, including recent articles in print media and many related websites.