Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing that strives to build a strong sense of community. It is characterized by private dwellings with their own kitchen, living-dining room, etc., but also extensive common facilities. Residents own their individual units, and have a common share in the land and common facilities.
Unlike many intentional communities, cohousing has no selection process for membership: diversity is a core value. As residents we were actively involved in the design of the community and continue to be active in the management and maintenance of the community
Like many cohousing communities, we have adopted consensus as our decision making process. While the decision making process has been challenging at times, it is also an incredibly rewarding experience as we learn how to make decisions that are both positive and completed in a timely matter.
The concept of cohousing is not new: there have been cohousing projects in Europe (primarily Denmark) for over 30 years, and there are hundreds of projects already built across North America, including at least seven in British Columbia.
For more information and examples of other cohousing communities please see the Canadian Cohousing Network’s website (http://www.cohousing.ca) or the Cohousing Association of the United States’ website (http://www.cohousing.org.)