Cohousing was a European idea that has reached the U.S. By sharing a living space with other, similar-minded people, an increasing number of Americans (often seniors) find a renewed enjoyment in their daily routine. Milwaukee Area Cohousing is a group dedicated to spreading this trend to the Milwaukee community. Allyn Steffen—member of Milwaukee Area Cohousing and outspoken supporter of the practice—spoke to Off the Cuff.
What is cohousing, and why should our readers be interested in it?
Cohousing is a form of condominium in which each resident owns their own private home. The private homes are self-contained but smaller, and they are intended to be part of the larger whole. Everyone shares a large “common house” where a variety of activities take place. People who choose cohousing are usually committed to creating an active social environment for themselves, their families and others.
What are the pros and cons of cohousing?
Each community is unique, but all embrace the principles of sharing and responding to the social, economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Cohousing seeks to encourage interaction among residents and to create a supportive social network for all. Most cohousing communities actively promote economic and environmental responsibility, such as energy conservation, planet-friendly methods of construction and affordable homeownership.
To the extent determined by the residents, the common house provides shared facilities, such as community kitchens, dining and recreational spaces and laundry equipment. Sharing the common areas encourages people to come out of their doorways to join the activities of the group while reducing energy consumption and the need for each household to own items that may not be needed on a daily basis. Neighbors share skills and provide a variety of supportive activities, such as shared child care or tutoring, assisting with transportation and maintaining the shared space. This helps to create an old-fashioned social group where people know each other and watch out for each other.
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Some of the “cons” might be that all residents are more or less required to participate in community service and governance. Additionally, individual private homes tend to be smaller than the typical housing found in today’s suburbs, so some folks might feel they don’t offer enough space.
Is there a large cohousing community in the Milwaukee area?
There are presently around 165 operating cohousing communities in the U.S., including three or four cohousing communities in Madison, but none in Milwaukee. That’s what Milwaukee Area Cohousing is working to change. We have started by offering introductory presentations for the community at the three Outpost Natural Foods locations (which will be repeated in the fall), scheduling potluck suppers at the Jazz Gallery and offering field trips to visit the Madison cohousing communities.
We also have an email list and meetup group to promote our activities. We have presented workshops about cohousing at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair (MREA) for several years and will expand to a two-part presentation at the MREA event this coming June.
Anyone willing to give cohousing a try should join our online group or visit the website for the Cohousing Association of the United States. Since we are still small, anyone interested is welcome to join us in our work. The more folks who get involved, the quicker we will be able to move ahead.
For more information, visit meetup.com/milwaukee-cohousing or cohousing.org.
