The Cohousing Company

July 2024 Newsletter

Trudeslund's Common House is always lively.

Upcoming Events

August 2024

• August 1–4: National Cohousing Conference (Senior Cohousing Facilitator Training Aug 1)
• August 6: Neuro-Inclusive Community Launch & Public Presentation (Northern California)
• Antioch Classes with Charles Durrett

National Cohousing Conference

August 1: Study Group 1 Intensive Facilitator Training

On August 1st, 2024, architect and pioneer of senior cohousing in North America, Charles Durrett (The Cohousing Company) will host a special Study Group 1 Aging Successfully (SG1) Facilitator Intensive Training for anyone interested in starting a new senior cohousing community, or just passionate in helping seniors in their community.

The Training is in response to the failure of aging services (especially in housing) to respond effectively to a growing trend in older adults—the lack of community and their growing loneliness. This population desires and deserves more independence and control of their elderhood. The failure of these services results in too many of these capable seniors moving to assisted living before their time. In a community setting, these services are not required at all—community is better at "mutual benefits" and provides a higher quality of life.

The SG1 Facilitator Training is for anyone motivated to be part of a solution in the current senior housing crisis in the U.S. and around the world.

Living Sustainably in Neuro-Inclusive Community

Public Presentation & Community Launch on August 6th in Nevada City, CA (Sierra Foothills of Northern California)

Join us for this presentation on neuro-inclusive cohousing and be part of something truly specia!

This new cohousing group is forming with the goal of creating a welcoming, enriching, and inclusive community for folks with autism, Down’s syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) with their families & friends right here in Grass Valley/Nevada City, Nevada County, CA. This community is open to all, including “neurotypical” families and individuals who are open to living beside their more challenged neighbors.

The Vision

Imagine living in a neighborhood that’s welcoming, safe, eco-friendly, and that you helped create. Private homes with generous common facilities. Where people know and care about each other in a village setting.

When: Tuesday, August 6 from 7-8 PM

Where: Madellyn Helling Library (980 Helling Way, Nevada City, CA 95959)

Suggested Donation: $10-20 suggested

For questions: email Phil and Laurie at ndcoho@currently.com

*Save the Date: Group Follow-Up Meeting: Saturday, August 10, 2024

This follow up meeting will be for those who are seriously interested in taking the next step in helping see this dream community become a reality.

The best way to meet your and your loved ones’ needs is to be part of the solution. Join us on August 6th to learn more and be part of this sustainable, neuro-inclusive community!

Upcoming Learning Opportunities with Charles Durrett

Professional Development Certificates through Antioch University Continuing Education

Books by Charles Durrett

Books have played a major role from the beginning in terms of getting cohousing to this country and built in your town, starting with our first book Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves (The European Story). Bookstores normally play a key role in culture change in general, and cohousing is no exception.



Many groups have contacted the publisher (New Society Press and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) directly to get bulk discounts, and I find that successful projects get started when lots of folks do this fun homework. I usually need to give a dozen copies of Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities, Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living and Cohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods away to planners, banks, neighbors, mayors, new residents, local architects, builders, and so on—to give them context. It saves the group thousands and thousands of hours, dollars, and delays, and most importantly makes for a better project.

Cohousing is more than a sound bite; it is cultural pivot, and it takes folks doing some fun research first. Seattle and the surrounding areas have about a dozen cohousing communities today largely because the bookstores in town have sold more than 1,000 copies of Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities and the San Francisco area has over 20 cohousing communities largely because the book has sold more than 2,000 copies there.

Cohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods

Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities

with Kathryn McCamant

The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living

Also available in Spanish

A Solution to Homelessness in Your Town

Also available HERE

Revitalizing Our Small Towns

Cohousing's role in positively effecting waning small towns.

State-Of-The-Art Cohousing: Lessons Learned from Quimper Village

with Alexandria Levitt

Happily Ever Aftering in Cohousing: A Handbook for Community Living

Finding A Site: Cohousing From the Ground Up

Growing Community: How to Find New Cohousing Members

Facilitator Guide - Senior Cohousing Study Group 1 Guides

Participant Guide - Senior Cohousing Study Group 1 Guides

Architecture for Ageing Population

with the staff of Images Publishing

The Cohousing Company