Boomers are now part of an appealing housing option that allows families to overcome the alienation of modern come-and-go neighborhoods—where often no one knows their neighbor or feels a sense of community. Their living needs are part of an emerging trend in the United States. Termed cohousing or elder cohousing, this concept centers on the philosophy that families should be able to live interdependently with others like themselves, as well as with seniors or parents, and to live at their maximum level of independence with support from their neighbors.

Cohousing has its roots in Denmark, and is quickly becoming attractive to the growing Baby Boomer market, which is good news as the first Baby Boomers turned 60 in January 2006. The U.S. Census indicates that 10,000 people turn 59 every day. And it’s these folks who are looking to community living: creating neighborhoods that focus on sustaining the environment and providing meaningful social interaction within neighborhoods.

According to Abraham Paiss and Neshama Abraham, creators of elder cohousing neighborhoods around the country, “Cohousing is a form of collaborative housing that offers residents an old-fashioned sense of neighborhoods. In cohousing, residents know their neighbors well and there is a strong sense of community that is typically absent in contemporary cities and suburbs. Residents participate in every aspect of the community—from development to design, and from management to meals.” (www.cohousing.org)

These developing communities feature privately owned homes or condominiums in neighborhoods, along with a “common house,” designed as shared space for guests, shared meals, entertaining and specialized treatment or care. Some “common houses” in elder cohousing communities also include an “end of life” suite, where family and healthcare providers can gather.

Cohousing Communities in Development
In Southwest Michigan, several cohousing-type communities are being developed. One such community is Manitou Arbor Ecovillage in Comstock, currently in the planning stages. Ginny Jones, Coordinator of Manitou Arbor Ecovillage, describes the community concept as an intergenerational community that is ecumenical, multigenerational and culturally diverse. “At this point in time, the long-term plans are for the community to contain earth-friendly construction and alternative energy sources such as solar power and windmills,” she says. “With technology changing so rapidly, those plans are, however, continually being defined.” The ultimate plan is to integrate private residences with common buildings/areas in a village-like setting.

Another cohousing community in development is located near Battle Creek on 300 acres of wooded land with views of Deep Lake and Goose Lake. The Village at Deep Lake will feature eco-friendly, intergenerational cohousing adjacent to the Integrative Learning Community at the Deep Lake Institute. Deep Lake is a planned model of living, the intention of which is to inspire community, renewal, healing, respect, vision and opportunity. Plans for this community include constructing common buildings and a combination of clustered homes and condominiums to ensure privacy while incorporating a true sense of community.

Lakeshore Interfaith Community, just south of Saugatuck, will take a similar approach, with plans to incorporate the intergenerational and eco-friendly concept with renewable energy sources and acceptance of diverse spiritual beliefs. Spokesman Glenn Davenport says, “We own a total of 89 acres right now with 36 acres assigned to residents. Phase Two will develop the remaining 53 acres for occupancy; Phase Three will add care facilities for retirement, post-retirement assisted living and nursing care.”

According to the Cohousing Association of the United States, “Cohousing communities balance the traditional advantages of home ownership with the benefits of shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors. These cooperative neighborhoods may be among the most promising solutions to many of today’s most challenging social and environmental concerns.” (www.cohousing.org)

The Boomer generation has always been known to set new standards in terms of needs and wants. They are the “sandwich generation” too, which means besides planning for their own residential and retirement futures, as well as those of their children, many Boomers also are in the midst of handling their parents’ current and ongoing living/retirement needs. The creation of collaborative housing may be just what many are looking for.

Sources:
Cohousing Association of the United States — www.cohousing.org
Lakeshore Interfaith Institute and Community — www.motherstrust.org
Abraham Paiss and Associates — abrahampaiss.com/ElderCohousing/
Ecovillage at Manitou Arbor — www.manitouarbor.org/
Village at Deep Lake — http://www.deeplake.info/
Global Ecovillage Network — http://ena.ecovillage.org