Can a New Neighborhood and Ownership Model Solve Our Problems

There are three overlapping crises in the US right now: 

• An epidemic of loneliness. In 2020, 61% of US adults reported feeling lonely. Sociologists and epidemiologists have linked numerous negative mental, emotional, and physical outcomes to loneliness, including depression, suicide, strokes, and overall lowered immune response. 

 

• A lack of affordable housing. In many parts of the country, housing costs have risen faster than wages, making it increasingly difficult for households to afford a decent, safe, and stable place to live. In fact, in 2017, only 11% of newly constructed homes in the US were affordable to middle-income households. (The lack of affordable options is one of the reasons we had to leave Arizona.)

 

• Accelerating global climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that residential buildings are responsible for about 30% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. And typical single family homes are notoriously inefficient in their use of building materials and in their consumption of land and energy. 

One way to mitigate all those crises, is to change the very way we build and inhabit space. By finding and creating new ways to live in closer relationship with our neighbors we can ease our isolation, hold down the costs of rent and mortgages and, consume less stuff and energy. 

Cohousing is one of the best ways to accomplish all three of those objectives. 
Co-housing developments differ greatly in form and design but the common denominator is small private homes/condos for each household with large and abundant shared spaces and amenities. For example, a couple might have its own 900 square foot townhouse that shares walls with their neighbors and have access to a 5,000 ft common house, a workshop, a craft studio, a large garden plot, and a sunny veranda. 

Because the living spaces are small, they are easy to heat and cool and because the community is tight they can reduce the redundancy of belongings like outdoor grills, lawn mowers, and even cars.  Cohousing residents typically lower their carbon footprint by 40 to 70%. This reduction, if widely adopted could have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions and help stave off more climate change. 

Because Co housing neighborhoods are designed to attract people into common spaces and to have front doors facing one another, it is much easier to have casual sustaining contact with other human beings. and when times get tough as they did during the covid pandemic, tightly knit neighbors support one another. 

Cohousers also share in the design, maintenance and governance of the community using collaborative and consensus techniques so that everyone is engaged and committed. 

Cohousing communities, if they maintain that commitment to each other and to affordability, can help first-time home buyers make the important transition out of rental housing so that they can build equity and security for their families.

No one thing, no one move will solve all our problems. But for those of us who want to do the most good for ourselves, each other, and the planet, living in cohousing definitely ticks the important boxes. 

For more about cohousing and the progress of our community, subscribe to our newsletter. We promise it will connect you to a vibrant community, good news, great ideas, and help us all ease our climate anxieties and loneliness. ​

,Kelly said, "My life here is so... so unsatisfying."

That simple statement hit me right in the solar plexus. My whole professional life centers on creating meaningful and purposeful opportunities for others, and here was my beloved wife and co-conspirator revealing to me her awful truth. Despite our solid relationship, the roof over our heads, her engaging job, the abundance of food in the pantry, and the rich content on Netflix, my dear friend was deeply unsatisfied. {gah!}

Once I got my breath back, I asked a few questions to understand the scope and origin of Kelly's dissatisfaction. It turns out that where and how we lived had her feeling isolated, adrift, and disconnected. We, like millions of other people, lived in a single-family home in a suburb of spaced-out properties, cul-de-sacs, and closed garage doors. Although we had a stunning view of the Arizona mountains off our back porch, we hardly ever saw our neighbors, and there were no shops or amenities within walking distance. Every bit of our social and cultural life had to be planned and driven to; there were no spontaneous visits or easy conversations on the sidewalk. 

Kelly's dissatisfaction is shared nation-wide. It is so prevalent that public health experts have dubbed it the Loneliness Epidemic. When humans lack easy, regular, and spontaneous connections with other humans, we are deeply, chronically, and negatively affected. Stress hormones increase, blood pressure rises, we don't sleep as well, and we start to have dark thoughts. (Check out this articles from the New York Times for more detail.)

Unfortunately the "American Dream" of moving out of the urban core into a single-family home with a fence to hide the neighbors turns out to be a nightmare, even for my slightly introverted wife. The design and placement of suburban homes seem purpose-built to create isolation, suspicion of others, and that terrible dissatisfaction. 

Kelly and I had already decided to change where we lived from our spread-out western city to the smaller, more urban Utica, NY (primarily for economic and climate reasons). But this revelation that WE were suffering from the Loneliness Epidemic invigorated a search, not just for a different place but a different way to live. Fortunately, we knew about other options.  We knew about cohousing - intentional community living that combines smaller living quarters with big common spaces and balances privacy with meaningful connection. 

Cohousing community design originated in Denmark in the 1960s in response to the changing social and economic landscape of the country. The idea was to create intentional communities designed specifically to help people live together in a way that fostered community, mutual support, and sustainability.

The first cohousing community was established in Denmark in 1972, and since then, the concept has spread to many other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and much of Europe. The basic idea of cohousing is to create a community of people who share common values and who are committed to working together to create a supportive living environment.

Today, cohousing communities vary widely in their size, design, and approach to living. Some communities are small and focused on particular interests, such as eco-villages or intentional communities based on shared spiritual beliefs. Others are larger and more diverse, with a range of ages, backgrounds, and interests represented within the community.

Here are a few examples of suburban, urban, exurban, and infill cohousing communities in the United States:

1. Muir Commons: Located in Davis, California. in the midst of stereotypical suburban sprawl, Muir Commons was one of the first cohousing communities built in the United States in 1991. The community consists of 26 homes, a common house, and shared gardens.
2. Winslow Cohousing: Winslow Cohousing has a more exurban feel due to it's location on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The community consists of 30 homes and a common house. The community is focused on sustainability and features a rainwater collection system, solar panels, and organic gardens.
3. Jamaica Plain Cohousing: Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Jamaica Plain Cohousing is an example of urban cohousing. It consists of several three-story buildings containing 30 homes, a common house, and shared outdoor spaces. The community is committed to diversity and inclusivity, and features a mix of income levels and cultural backgrounds.
4. Quimper Village: Quimper Village is located in Port Townsend, Washington, and consists of 30 homes and a common house. As an intentional 55+ community, it is designed to be accessible and features universal design elements to enable older people to age in place while remaining connected. 
5. Bristol Village Cohousing: An example of infill cohousing, the residents purchased a number of existing homes in a neighborhood, removed the fencing between them and added new construction to create a "village within a village." 

These are just a few examples of the many cohousing communities that exist in the United States. Each community is unique and reflects the values and priorities of its residents.

It turns out there aren't any cohousing communities in Utica... yet! There are, however, plenty of underused lots and under-utilized architectural marvels in our chosen city. Kelly and I are committed to spearheading this project, to gather more people who are ready to live more fully, and, together, build a community where no one is lonely or unsatisfied.