CoHousing Solutions Newsletter | April 2020
See how our client communities are adjusting during the time of Covid-19. Read all the way to the bottom to learn about new cohousing resources and events.
Cohousing Perseveres
While it feels like the world is on pause, cohousing continues to move forward. And not just the established neighborhoods, forming communities continue to gain speed. While our clients have had to cancel site tours, remodel meeting structures, and meet new  e xplorers virtually, they continue to gain new members and maintain their project trajectory.
As we entered the days of  physical isolation, our forming communities began embracing the sentiment that cohousing residents have been saying for years;
"In uncertain times, cohousing communities
are the best place to be ."

And now, we are seeing that sentiment catching on as our forming communities continue to gather steam, despite most of the country being put on hold.

Within the first days of the physical isolation mandate new members joined our client communities Bozeman Cohousing and Washington Commons.
And Skagit Cohousing gained eleven new explorers.
Haystack Heights in Spokane is full steam ahead to pull permits and close on their construction loan. They hope to start construction in May, or as soon as Washington State allows construction to restart. Back in March of 2017, Haystack Heights hired CoHousing Solutions to access the feasibility of their potential property. After that, the project escalated quickly. Katie helped bring in UD+P from Portland as their developer who has now secured the construction financing and will be managing construction. Since they had sold out of all of their 39 homes in early 2020, the bank is hanging with them through these uncertain times. Unfortunately the won't be able to throw a big groundbreaking party, so they’ll have to make up for it at the Grand Opening.
Shelly Parks, a member of Skagit Cohousing and a graduate of our 500 Communities Program, shared with us how her fellow community members are moving forward: "For members and explorers, we imagined what it would be like when we are built and can gather together in our common house. Imagining this, we have been more intentional in creating different ways to gather and learn more about each other. For instance, we started a weekly knitting circle where we have been sharing our projects (not everyone joining is a knitter) and simply hanging out. We also have planned a poetry gathering where we will share our own poems and/or share our favorite poems, a music gathering where we will share what instruments we plan or what we love, a foodie gathering sharing our favorite dish and the story that goes with it, and more."
In early 2020 Berkeley Moshav drew the largest initial interest of any of our forming communities. With 66 explorer households, Roger Studley, founding community member and graduate of our 500 Communities Program, has b een facilitating large online events, so that explorers and core members might continue to get to know one another. Just last week they hosted an online meet-and-greet in which participants were split up into small online chat rooms to share interesting facts about themselves and get to know their future neighbors.
 
Maintaining the visual of how the community will look after the pandemic is a common theme for all of our client communities. People are considering what they want their life to look like after this is over, and where they want to be the next time something like this happens. Even though these forming groups are not yet neighbors, they are already supporting each other and taking on this difficult time together. Working through Covid-19 collaboratively provides a unique opportunity to discuss the decision-making processes and disaster protocols that they will want to have in place by the time they move in. It brings everyone comfort to know that the next time something like this happens, they will be living in a community that already knows how to support one another, and work collaboratively through difficult decision making.
Suzy Sharp of our client community, Heartwood Commons, says "Now, more than ever we are experiencing the value of our community. Zoom meetings are the vehicle we now use for getting together. We use it for our General Meetings and Team Meetings. But it’s really the Coffee Klatches and Happy Hours we look forward to. We check-in, tell our stories, laugh and cry together, and learn more about each other. We aren't letting the current situation hold us back. On May 2 we will select our homes. We had big plans for how we would celebrate this milestone together on our land. But instead we will gather on Zoom to stake our claim on our future home and learn who our next-door-neighbors will be."
As we watch our clients continue to gain traction through these uncertain times, we are filled with confidence that cohousing will play an integral role in the future of North American housing. The recent physical distancing mandates have highlighted the importance of authentic community, and we are seeing a higher demand for the housing models that provide it.
 
If you have been considering moving into a cohousing neighborhood, now just might be the perfect time. You can find information about our forming client communities on our website, and other forming and established communities on the Directory of the US Cohousing Association .


Still Considering if Cohousing is for You?
Take a look at these resources and events.

Join our affiliates, Sarah Arthurs and Alexandria Levitt online to hear more about the ins and outs of cohousing, and see if this housing model is right for you.
Sunday April 26th is National Cohousing Open House Day, where cohousing neighborhoods everywhere open their doors to the public, and show off why we are so passionate about living in community.

Of course, this year is going to have to look a little different. The National Cohousing Association has organized a series of virtual tours, in which cohousing communities will be hosting online events to show off what their community is all about.
There is only one more Introduction Webinar for our 500 Communities Program!

Based on Katie McCamant's 35 years experience working in the world of cohousing, this program is designed to give entrepreneurs the skills they need to incorporate cohousing into their professional portfolio. If you are interested in being a part of the creation of the next 500 cohousing communities, this is the program for you. We encourage you to join us on this webinar and find out more about the program.

Thursday May 7th
5:00 PM PST
We're Here to Help!
We provide development consulting services to help you create your sustainable neighborhood . Our team pioneered the development of cohousing in North America, and we have helped create dozens of successful communities.
Our newest venture involves training passionate cohousing entrepreneurs through the year-long 500 Communities Program .
Photo by Ed Asmus
Architecture by McCamant & Durrett Architects
CoHousing Solutions
(530) 478-1970
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