Durham Coho in Durham, NC.
NOTE: Sierra Club supports diverse, affordable housing options for all. Resilience to the climate crisis begins with social, cultural, and economic resilience, which depends upon inclusive and sustainable communities. Cedar CoHousing's vision aligns with Sierra Club's values. Our Land Use and Transportation Team invites you to learn more in this guest blog article.
By Bob Aderhold
A new cohousing community, Cedar Cohousing, is looking for a site in the Twin Cities urban core. Cohousing is a model for intentional community imported from Denmark, and there are now 150-plus such communities in the United States. Cedar Cohousing is offering monthly information sessions about their vision and progress.
Cohousing communities combine private units and common space, where residents share many skills and interests, periodically have meals together, and support one another. Future residents are deeply involved in the design, development and eventual management of their residence, and are advised by seasoned professionals during the gestation and building process.
Participants in this project, so far, include individuals, couples, singles with young children, empty nesters and retirees. The goal is to build a diverse, multi-generational community of 30 to 40 households. We expect to build a four to five story, multi-family residence located and designed to prioritize:
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Low-carbon construction, materials and on-going operation.
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Pedestrian-friendly location near high-frequency public transit.
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Sharing stuff – tools, appliances, gear, cars etc.
Cohousing communities can be condominiums or cooperatives. Besides the involvement of residents from the early stages through on-going management, what distinguishes cohousing is its common spaces designed to foster interaction and cooperation, such as sharing meals a couple times a week.
Durham Coho community garden
in Durham, NC
Common space typically includes a kitchen/dining space, play space for children, and gardens. Workshops, shared laundry facilities, conference rooms, and guest rooms are also common. Cedar is considering electric vehicle sharing as well. Cohousing is intended to be a model that encourages sociability and decreases isolation.
Cedar Cohousing aspires to be diverse, especially racially and generationally, and is working on that. Being diverse economically is very challenging because of the price of land, plus cohousing offers a relatively high proportion of community space - space that cannot be sold or generate revenue. To make affordable housing happen requires a coordinating effort among government agencies, nonprofits, and the cohousing community.
Interested in exploring this housing alternative? Attend a monthly information session.
On Saturday, January 23 at 10:00am architect Mark Carsten Anderson will present on sustainable architecture. A February 27 event is titled Parade of Cohousing, showcasing several urban cohousing communities elsewhere in the country.
Bob Aderhold is the Secretary Treasurer of Cedar Cohousing, LLC, a former board member of Transit for Livable Communities, predecessor of Move Minnesota, and a long-time Sierra Club supporter.