Cohousing - A New Form of Community Living

Article submitted by Neshama Abraham Paiss, a professional writer and resident of Nomad Cohousing Community in Boulder.

When one thinks about aging gracefully, there are typically only a few available options. An assisted living facility, a nursing home, or if it works out, perhaps moving in with one of your children. Now, there's a new option that many elders in Colorado are finding works even better: a cohousing neighborhood.

Cohousing is an intergenerational neighborhood where residents get to know one another before moving in and continue to see and support each other regularly. The concept has Danish roots and has been in the U.S. for 10 years. Colorado is one of the leading states for cohousing with seven completed cohousing communities throughout the state, and four more in the development stages. One that will start construction in the Spring of 2002 and still has a few homes available is Wild Sage Cohousing in Boulder.

Wild Sage is a 34-home neighborhood on 1.6 acres in North Boulder. The community has been meeting for about two years and is already over 80% filled. This neighborhood stands out because of its economic and age diversity among members.

Elders choose cohousing for a variety of reasons says Arthur Okner, a 60-year old resident of the already completed Nomad Cohousing Community in Boulder: "There is no reason for older people to live alone. I choose this lifestyle because I love interacting with young people and cohousing make this possible."

Ellen Orleans, a member of the Wild Sage group says she believes cohousing offers the right balance between privacy and community. "Cohousing allows the active elderly to maintain their independence and receive a helping hand when they need it."

Our lives are not forever. Recently, an elderly man died in the Harmony Village Cohousing neighborhood in Golden, CO. During the dying process, each member of the 27-home community was given an opportunity to say farewell. The surviving wife said she was given tremendous support after her husband's passing, and was very grateful to be living in cohousing.

If this sounds appealing to you, then cohousing may be worth investigating. For more information about cohousing in Boulder, contact Wild Sage Cohousing www.WildSageCohousing.org. or Wonderland Hill Development Company at 303-449-3232.