COHOUSING CONFERENCE WRAP-UP  
Nashville buzzed with cohousing seekers, professionals and community members the weekend of May 19-21. With nearly 400 attendees from all over the country, as well as New Zealand, Argentina and Korea, cohousing neighborhoods continue to inspire people with their environmental and social sustainability. We were especially excited to visit the completed Germantown Commons, a client of ours.

CoHousing Solutions had three representatives at the Conference...

Katie led a day-long intensive and two sessions: one on Development Strategies and one on Financing, as well as a 500 Communities Gathering on Sunday. She and Chuck of McCamant & Durrett Architects also gave the kick-of event presentation Thursday night, "Cohousing: Building Resilient Neighborhoods." (pictured above).

Jenny led three intensives: on Marketing, on Cohousing Resiliency and on Millennials, and a Gathering on Climate Leading Communities. In her role as Coho/US Outreach Associate, she introduced keynote speaker Sarah van Gelder and organized Conference greening.

Bethany attended her first of many Cohousing Conferences to come, as she'll be taking over for Jenny (leaving to pursue her Masters degree) in mid-June. (See some of her great pictures from the Saturday night tour of Germantown Commons in Nashville below). 
COMMUNITIES WE'RE WORKING WITH
Washington House Cohousing: West Sacramento, CA
 
Situated in a the walkable neighborhood of West Sacramento, just a few blocks from the Sacramento River, the group is building momentum towards realizing their urban community vision. This unique opportunity to build on a quiet .59-acre property close to Raley Field, Old Sacramento and downtown won't come around again.

Katie says, "Things are changing quickly in West Sacramento. In three years, people will be clamoring to get a site here, but they wukk have all been bought up by big developers. This is your chance to show your interest and make this project happen."

The area's desirability is referenced in a recent Wall Street Journal article
"Real-estate agents and developers say the most desirable neighborhoods [in Sacramento] are in the urban core - a shift from the prior boom cycle around 2005, when suburban areas with gated developments were more popular."

If we are going to get the kind of neighborhoods we want, anything different from the typical developer project, people need to commit early to show there is a market for something else. Consumers can change the market if they are willing to put their money behind what they want.  

Washington House is offering incentives to get on board by the end of June so they can get going on the design of the community. Find out more about their Explorer Membership option, for those who want to dive deeper into this opportunity, while establishing your Membership Date and place in the queue for home selection.

Fair Oaks EcoHousing: Fair Oaks, CA
  
Soon to be under construction (anticipated for this summer), Fair Oaks EcoHousing is a great community case study of building and maintaining momentum. It wasn't easy when they were just a small group with a big vision back in 2014.

Through hosting regular site tours, potlucks and participating in local events to build interest - they've grown their membership in the past few years to bring on board 25 member households, with only 5 homes currently left available!  
COHOUSING AND RELATED NEWS 
Cohousing Puts the Emphasis on Neighborhood
Washington Post: May 2017 
 

"Cohousing made it easier to start a new life," Vander Plaats of Newberry Place said. Two months after she and her girls moved in, they knew the neighbors in all the other 19 houses. "I knew a little about each of them," she said. "I knew their family dynamics. It helped me feel like Grand Rapids was home a lot quicker." 
JUNE EVENTS: Click Links for Details
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Nevada City, CA | 530-478-1970 | [email protected]
 
  
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