Association News

A second Coho/US webinar by architect Laura Fitch will examine the philosophy and practice of “Getting the Work Done” in community life. Issues of equity, setting expectations, and implementation will be reviewed, including a close look at what has been put into practice successfully in one cohousing community.

We've been collecting your feedback on our website since our launch in January, and we heard a few things loud and clear that we've tried to address.

The silence is deafening! Can’t communities find ways to spend $2,500 for a community improvement that others can replicate? That’s what Coho/US is offering. To stimulate your imaginations a bit, here are some recent improvements at U.S. cohousing communities that might have been considered for a grant. Discuss this grant opportunity at your next meeting! Remember, the application deadline is October 31, 2008, but we’d like to get some discussion going well before the deadline, to improve the quality of submissions. Please let David Wann hear your emerging ideas for grant submissions. David’s phone number is (303) 216-1281, and his email is davewann [at] comcast [dot] net.

"People were extremely nice and friendly. I can see why everyone wants them as neighbors." That was one participant’s comment in the 2008 Conference feedback survey. The results, with more than a fourth of the attendees participating in the survey, are invaluable as planning for the 2009 Conference in Seattle continues.

We launched the Members Area at the June Cohousing Conference with several topic rooms demonstrating the kinds of discussions that were possible.

Now tell us how you’d like Coho/US to roll out that capability. What are you most interested in?

If you'd like to join a conference call to talk about what you want in the Members Area, it's scheduled for Wednesday evening, August 5 at 5 pm PDT/ 8 pm EDT. To join the conversation, call (712) 432-1620. When prompted for your access code, key in 1034100#. Normal long distance charges apply.

We’ve got three simple questions for you (choose all that apply).
Take the Survey >

“If we agree that in cohousing a well-functioning common-meal system is fundamental to a strong sense of community, how can we help new communities create an effective common-meal system as they plan their life together in their future home? How can an established community modify its common-meal system, should it start to unravel?”

Five areas of focus. An amazing 55 presentations – more than ever before. Meals included. Fabulous dormitory accommodations with games, a kitchen and gathering areas downstairs. Author and Design-Build Architect John Abrams. Swing music at dinner with dancing afterward. A video introduction to cohousing. New friends and old friends. The best community gathering the nation has ever seen.

Haven’t registered for the conference yet? Seriously? Don’t miss it, discounted registration is almost over! For four days in Boston’s Waltham community at picturesque Bentley College, folks representing cohousing communities from across the country, as well as those just getting to know cohousing for the first time, will gather to feed or reignite their passion with informative presentations, workshops, community tours and social events.

We came up with a bakers dozen of reasons why you need to be at the June Cohousing Conference in Boston.

The CD of Katie McCamant’s December webinar on financing cohousing has been produced and is ready to order.

The presentation is just over an hour and a half long. It is a movie of the full webinar with the complete Powerpoint presentation and the full audio recording of the talk given by Katie on December 3, 2007.

Architect Grace Kim has joined the Coho/US Board. Grace Kim is an architect and co-founding principal of Schemata Workshop, a five-person architectural collaborative in Seattle.