What is co-housing?

There are many co-housing communities in the United States, but only a small number of senior co-housing communities in this country, although their numbers are growing. Most co-housing communities are currently financed as condominiums for various reasons. They are also independently managed by the members of the community with no outside management. More than an architectural style, this form of community is also about how people live together to try to achieve a better outcome than living alone. The organization is intentional in that all who choose to live there agree to contribute to the common good, make decisions by consensus, and accept the responsibilities of being a member of a community that works together without the control or interference of outside management.

Co-housing does have its architectural influences or conventions that make such communities unique when compared to conventional housing. The community is usually designed to allow for easy casual interaction, have a guest room(s) or apartment, and a “common house” much larger than typical condo community rooms. The design of the community is a joint effort of the members who will live there along with the developer and architect. The key element here is the involvement by future members early in the design phase. Although building codes, multifamily-type construction and prudent choices to achieve economical solutions dictate much of the building, future residents participate in many design decisions that affect how they will live. This participatory form of design is unique to co-housing and is an integral part of creating a sustainable community. The form of ownership is usually a condominium, but it can be a cooperative. Phoenix Commons will be financed as a cooperative, but it still looks to the co-housing model for its organizational philosophy.