- What exactly is cohousing?
- How many homes are in Gainesville Cohousing?
- Would I own my own home?
- Do residences have their own kitchens?
- Would I own my backyard?
- Would I have privacy?
- Is there space for a vegetable garden?
- What about storage?
- Could I have a pet?
- What is a Common House?
- Do members share meals together?
- Would I need to attend the general business meetings?
- How much work and meeting time are involved in cohousing life?
- How does the work get done?
- Would I get to choose what I do?
- What is your participation policy?
- Would I get free day care, elder care, or help if I get sick?
- Is it like assisted living?
- What about safety and security?
- Can residents share vehicles and other resources?
- Is it like a commune?
- Do cohousing communities incorporate green design and materials?
- Are cohousing homes more affordable than other types of housing?
- Would I have to like everyone?
- Who lives in cohousing?
- What is the legal status of a typical community?
- What do the monthly fees cover?
- What if someone comes in who tries to control everything or won’t allow the community to move because they block everything?
- How did cohousing get started?
- What makes cohousing function well?
- Sounds great, how can I move in?
- What if I want to sell my home?
1. What exactly is cohousing? [top]
Cohousing communities consist of private, fully equipped homes and extensive common amenities including a Common House and recreation areas. They are designed and managed by the residents, who have chosen to live in a close-knit neighborhood that seeks a healthy blend of privacy and community.
Cohousing residents own their individual homes, which are typically designed to allow neighbors to share activities and facilities, such as the large Common House, easily while protecting everyone’s privacy. There are no shared financial arrangements, apart from homeowners’ association (HOA) or similar fees to cover expenses of shared facilities and grounds. Gainesville Cohousing has individually titled homes with an HOA.
There are two big differences between cohousing and conventional HOAs: First, cohousing units, shared spaces, and activities are designed by the residents. This includes not only building and maintaining structures but also regular common meals and workdays. Second, residents decide how they will govern themselves and make decisions. By staying actively involved, residents ensure that the community remains cooperative, sustainable, and reflective of their values and goals. The overall intention is to make it easy and natural for residents to know their neighbors well and enjoy a strong sense of community that is often absent in contemporary cities and suburbs.
2. How many homes are in Gainesville Cohousing? [top]
There are twenty-four lots. See the landing page for availability. Most cohousing communities in the United States have 20 to 40 units, though some have as few as 6 or more than 60 homes. cohousing works best when a neighborhood balances the capacity to participate with the ability to know your neighbors, and many people think this is achieved with 25 to 35 households.
3. Would I own my own home? [top]
Yes. Each home is individually titled, and residents are responsible for their own home maintenance, including their front and back yards.
4. Do residences have their own kitchens? [top]
Yes. Each residence has a fully equipped private kitchen. In addition, the Common House contains a large kitchen and dining room where community members regularly share meals.
5. Would I own my backyard? [top]
Yes, a small backyard is considered private space, and you are responsible for maintaining it. Additionally, some private yards are adjacent to undeveloped commonly owned spaces.
6. Would I have privacy? [top]
Yes, all our members value privacy as well as social contact, and it is important to members to have their own homes and private space.
Privacy is more respected in cohousing than elsewhere. The idea of a shared kitchen and dining facilities does not stem from a notion that meals should all be communal, but a recognition that some communal meals are desirable and benefit everyone. There can be more privacy in cohousing because the amenity areas provide meeting places, play areas, party room, and so on, while the individual dwelling is a place of privacy and retreat.
7. Is there space for a vegetable garden? [top]
There are several garden plots available for residents to use. Some homes have raised beds, fruit trees, or hydroponic towers in their own yard, and neighbors are happy to share their bounty.
8. What about storage? [top]
Some members have backyard sheds as storage. Some homes have garages. The homes have been designed with lots of storage. Others will use an extra bedroom for this purpose. Most members are looking forward to downsizing their possessions in response to the reduced living space and the desire to live simply.
9. Could I have a pet? [top]
Yes! Only indoor cats are allowed. Dogs must be on leash when outdoors. Other small pets (such as birds) are also allowed. The household maximum is four (4) pets in any combination. Combined weight of the four (4) animals must not exceed 160 pounds
10. What is a Common House? [top]
While homes are self-contained and privately owned, the Common House is a facility owned and shared by all residents. The design is intended to create opportunities for interaction among neighbors. The Common House is the heart of the community and supplements the individual dwellings. It includes a kitchen and dining room, lounge, family room, and office space. There is also a separate workshop, a garden shed, a playground for children, and a pool. Founding members decided what to include.
11. Do members share meals together? [top]
Residents can and do volunteer to cook and host common meals, which are voluntary for all to attend as well as help set up and clean up. These average about 1 per week. Although individual dwellings are self-sufficient and each has its own kitchen, the Common House kitchen and dining room are available for shared meals and celebrations as often as members want. The common facilities, and particularly the shared meals, are an important aspect of community life for social and practical reasons; however, shared activities are always optional.
12. Would I need to attend the general business meetings? [top]
Someone in your household does. The whole reason for general business meetings is to provide an opportunity for the group to work together to define what it wants, and then to find a way to make it happen.
13. How much work and meeting time are involved in cohousing life? [top]
We hold a general business meeting once a month, usually on Sunday afternoon. Groups (our term for committees) meet on varying schedules, as needed. Some meet monthly, some less, some more. There are also Discussion Meetings for those most interested in an issue, and they often result in a proposal to the community. To make consensus decision-making work, we must discuss our concerns with others. The number of meetings attended varies among individuals. We expect members to attend monthly Business Meetings, discussion meetings of interest, and Group meetings when they are members of the Group or want to give input to that topic.
14. How does the work get done? [top]
Everyone volunteers! We serve on Groups covering everything from legal, financial, marketing to grounds and facilities and meals. If the community wants things done that no one is qualified or willing to do, then we hire them out. We hire electricians, plumbers, tree workers, and so on, as needed.
15. Would I get to choose what I do? [top]
Yes, individuals decide which Groups to join and which projects to work on.
16. What is your participation policy? [top]
Gainesville Cohousing’s policy is that each able-bodied member contributes to the community. Each resident shares the work of the common facilities. This includes cleaning and cooking in the Common House and maintaining the shared yard, garden, pool, and recreation facilities. Individual Groups oversee the work activities.
17. Would I get free day care, elder care, or help if I get sick? [top]
Cohousing can be described as a caring, but not a caregiving, community. As among any group of friends and neighbors, people help each other in informal ways, and cohousing is a community in which people are friendly and supportive to each other, especially in times of need. However, we are not set up to provide assisted living services, nor do we provide professional caregiving services. Residents who need ongoing assistance for activities of daily living would need to arrange care privately, with the appropriate professionals and agencies.
18. Is it like assisted living? [top]
No, cohousing is a caring community, not a care-giving community. If you routinely need help with activities of daily living, you will need to make those arrangements with the appropriate agencies and professionals. Though we are caring, concerned, and multigenerational folks, we are also busy, active people who cannot provide the professional care available in an assisted living community
19. What about safety and security? [top]
Because we know all our neighbors, non-residents are easily recognized, and there is more than one person to watch out for the safety of our children, one another, and the property of an absent resident.
20. Can residents share vehicles and other resources? [top]
Sharing resources and skills is a hallmark of cohousing. That said, each community develops its own policies on such matters as car sharing. Currently, while we share things like tools and gardening equipment, there is not a vehicle sharing program at Gainesville Cohousing.
21. Is it like a commune? [top]
No, individual homes and lots are not collectively owned, and labor and incomes are not collectively divided or pooled. We do collectively own all the land apart from the individual lots. Gainesville Cohousing is a homeowners association run solely by members. We planned the neighborhood design in specific ways to make it vibrant and social. Because the common areas make it so easy to socialize, homes can be more of a private space to retreat to.
22. Do cohousing communities incorporate green design and materials? [top]
Like most cohousing neighborhoods, we strive to make ours energy-efficient and ecologically sustainable, subject to the constraints of city living. Most homes and our Common House have solar power. The homes are designed to be energyefficient and were built to include “green” features, while still staying within each homeowner’s budget.
23. Are cohousing homes more affordable than other types of housing? [top]
Affordability varies. Construction, consultants, and financing costs were like those in any new development. However, you will benefit from a custom-designed neighborhood and extensive common facilities, and ongoing costs tend to be less than in a typical U.S. home. Overall, cohousing can be more expensive because of the common facilities and green building practices. This is why we worked hard to decide what common facilities and which green building practices we could afford during the design and construction process.
24. Would I have to like everyone? [top]
It isn’t essential for everyone in a cohousing community to like every neighbor. In fact, a variety of personalities will add interest to neighborhood life. Cohousing residents need only share the goal of making their lives more enjoyable by cooperating with their neighbors. As in any healthy community, people will be tolerant and respectful toward others. Since cohousing communities usually attract members through a process of networking, it is likely that a high degree of friendship will exist among members. Some people, of course, are very private individuals and may feel comfortable with only a few, whereas others will form friendships with everyone in the community. As in other areas of life, individuals will create their own experience.
25. Who lives in cohousing? [top]
Cohousing is for everybody who wants to participate in their community. People who choose to be a part of a cohousing community come from a variety of backgrounds, income levels, family types, and beliefs. What they share is a desire to have a say in how their neighborhood will be and a belief that having more connection with their neighbors will be good for them. You will see evidence of a sensitive attitude toward the natural environment, reduced home size, sharing of resources, and community recycling.
26. What is the legal status of a typical community? [top]
Gainesville Cohousing is organized as a Homeowners Association (HOA), with individually titled homes. As an HOA we have Bylaws, Covenants & Restrictions and Rules & Regulations. Some cohousing communities in the US are organized as condominiums or housing co-operatives.
27. What do the monthly fees cover? [top]
Every year the members set the budget. Items in the budget include utilities for the common space, maintenance of buildings and grounds, office supplies, public relations, reserves, waste disposal, Internet access, and property insurance on common spaces and facilities. All fees are discussed and agreed upon ahead of time.
28. What if someone comes in who tries to control everything or won’t allow the community to move because they block everything? [top]
When a vote is needed, we use what we call modified consensus. Here are the possible scenarios:
- Consensus (100%) is reached on the first vote.
- Consensus is not reached on the first vote. The no votes will then provide more evidence before a second vote, and consensus is reached.
- Consensus is not reached on the first vote. The no votes will then provide more evidence before a later, second vote and consensus still is not reached. A later, third vote requires two-thirds-plus -one, to pass. (If no evidence is provided, the second vote goes straight to two-thirds-plus-one.)
Sometimes personalities conflict. We use group-process and nonviolent communication training and at times use a mediator to reduce potential acrimony among members.
29. How did cohousing get started? [top]
In the late 1960s, a group of Danish families, dissatisfied with existing urban and suburban living options, decided to create their own resident-developed neighborhood as an alternative to traditional housing models. They wanted a community where they would know their neighbors, that would be alive with adults talking and children playing, and that would be safer because people would look out for each other and strangers would be easily noticed. It would reduce the stress of their busy lives by easing day-to-day burdens such as childcare and cooking. It would be a place where people could pursue their individual goals while living in a supportive community. They wanted to reduce their impact on the land and create communities that were environmentally sensitive and sustainable. They called their solution bofoellesskaber (living communities). Today, 10% of all new housing construction in Denmark uses this model and the concept has been spreading to other parts of the world. It was introduced to North America by two architects in 1988 who created the name cohousing to refer to this style of development. There are more than 113 operating communities in the U.S. with many others in the planning phases.
30. What makes cohousing function well? [top]
Resident participation! We expect every member to help get work done in the community. We share meals several times a month. Rotating cooking and cleaning is part of the shared work. There are monthly workdays to maintain the grounds. Sharing the work within the community helps keep costs down, supports interaction, and enhances accountability.
31. Sounds great, how can I move in? [top]
To start, read the information on our website, send us an email and join our Interested Parties list. Request copies of our Bylaws; Covenants and Restrictions; and Rules and Regulations. Arrange to come for a visit and tour, talk to existing residents, join us for a meal or a meeting. If you are not local, some of these can be done by Zoom. Once you are on our Interested Parties list, you will get priority notification when a home is available for purchase—before it is offered on the open market!
See the landing page for availability announcements.
32. What if I want to sell my home? [top]
Gainesville Cohousing has a “right of first offer”, which means the community has an opportunity to buy your house first. If you decide you wish to sell, you notify the Board of Directors of your intent and asking price. The community then has 30 days to decide if they wish to purchase your house. During that 30-day period, those on the Interested Parties list will be notified of the home for sale and can make offers contingent on the community’s decision. Should the community decide not to purchase your home, you are free to sell on the open market. Because of the collaborative nature of cohousing, there are networking opportunities to promote lots for sale in addition to traditional real estate marketing methods.
Information was drawn from the following communities in preparing this list
Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing (OMC), Eugene, Oregon.
Good Tree Village, Washington DC metro area.
White Hawk EcoVillage, Ithaca, New York.
LaQuerencia Cohousing, Fresno, California.
Monterey Cohousing Community (Mococo), Minneapolis, Minnesota.