Background Resources
While the tiny nation of Denmark was the birthplace of
cohousing, they have not created a national “movement” for cohousing. But as other nations have learned about the idea, the original founders and subsequent adopters have become very organized to create infrastructure to make it easier for others to learn about cohousing.
Canadian Cohousing Network
The Canadian Cohousing Network (CCN) was formed in 1992 in British Columbia, Canada.
It is a registered non-profit organization that promotes the creation of cohousing communities as a model for sustainable development by raising public awareness about cohousing and by bringing people together to form communities. The most valuable function of the CCN is making connections with people who are interested in living in a cohousing community. CCN links individuals and cohousing groups together to share resources and make the process of creating a community easier and more economical.
Cohousing Association of the United States
Coho/US is a national non-profit raising awareness of the benefits of cohousing and supporting the development of cohousing communities nationwide. We serve as a connector and clearinghouse to grow and nurture cohousing.
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review
Actual and perceived social isolation are both associated with increased risk for early mortality. In this meta-analytic review, our objective is to establish the overall and relative magnitude of social isolation and loneliness and to examine possible moderators.
Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design
In reading books about urban design, it’s easy to get bored or feel that you are reading an academic text. This book by Charles Montgomery is the antithesis of all those books and in fact an “easy read.”
The New Better Off: Reinventing the American Dream
This author lives in cohousing and in this, her most recent book, she notes that as a Millennial she is in a generational cohort that will not be “better off” than her parent’s generation. Her book challenges the present day ideal of “better off” and suggests that a new paradigm should be considered — one that focuses on self-fulfillment, meaning in life and happiness.
The Senior Cohousing Handbook (2nd Edition)
While multi generational cohousing might be attractive for some seniors, many are seeking an alternative way to age with others who are in the same stage of life — they are looking for mentorship from other elders as they experience elderhood themselves.
Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities
Chuck and Katie, as they are known to the cohousing world, are the birth parents of cohousing in North America. They introduced the concept to the US in the late 80’s after they wrote the original edition of this book — which has become known as the “cohousing bible.”