If you are someone who is interested in enjoying the benefits of extended travel, but don’t want to give up the benefits of having a ‘home-base’ then there is an alternative housing style that might be of interest to you – cohousing.

Cohousing is not the same as co-operatives, where apartment buildings are owned by the residents who have their own individual apartments or houses.

Cohousing is more like a cross between a commune and a co-op.  It’s like a traditional village that is owned by its residents, only not quite.

With co-housing a group of individuals get together, buy a property and either renovate or build to suit their purposes. Every individual or family has a private apartment or house in the village that they use as their space. They also share common spaces, facilities and amenities.

Shared spaces, facilities and amenities could be a children’s playground, guest rooms, a fully equipped office, workshops, gardens/farms, arts and crafts studios – basically whatever the group decides it wants to have (as long as it’s legal ).

Cohousing residents share responsibilities for planning, designing, managing, maintaining and participating in the day-to-day running of the development.  The residents become part of a sustainable, working community. A community where everyone knows everyone else and supports the other residents.

For location independent professionals and ageless nomads this type of lifestyle and housing design offers a number of benefits:

• you don’t have to worry about your home when you are away traveling;
• you could become part of a cohousing group that was formed around traveling so your non-traveling times would be spent surrounded by people who shared your passion and understood your lifestyle;
• as a location independent professional, a cohousing community built around creativity or small business development could provide unlimited support and energy to your lifestyle. There is an Art Cohousing Community in Rome, Italy (http://www.artcohousing.com/) that seems to be offering units for long- or short-term rentals to artists interested in developing their talents (the site is in Italian and the Google English translation is a bit rough);
• cohousing units can be ‘house swapped’ providing great opportunities for you to live in other communities; etc.

For Baby Boomers, the advantages to living in a cohousing community include:

• you don’t have to worry about your home when you are away traveling;
• house swapping your cohousing unit with someone from another cohousing community is a great way to travel and explore other countries without feeling lonely or isolated;
• being part of a community of individuals who share your interests or hobbies, without being limited to just retirement villages. Although there are some cohousing communities that are age-specific, most cohousing communities are inter-generational;
• you have community support as you age;
• you could reduce your living expenses. Shared items, like laundry facilities, vehicles, RVs, sporting and fitness equipment, hobby supplies, business equipment and expertise, etc., can help reduce costs; etc.

The cohousing model is a recent phenomenon, with the first cohousing community being built in Denmark in 1972. In North America the first cohousing community didn’t occur until 1988.  According to the Canadian Cohousing Network, there are currently only roughly 130 cohousing communities scattered throughout North America, with most Canadian cohousing communities located in British Columbia. However, another 120 are currently in various stages of development and the movement is predicted to gain in popularity over the next 10 or so years.

More information on cohousing can be obtained from:

1. The Canadian Cohousing Network, http://www.cohousing.ca
2. The Cohousing Association of the United States, http://www.cohousing.org
3. The UK Cohousing Network, http://www.cohousing.org.uk/
4. The Fellowship for Intentional Communities, http://www.ic.org/

TTFN

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