By Alina Aliyar, December 13, 2024
Co-housing?
…only in Portland…what sort of dumb hippie nonsense is this…ew….people…
The first time I heard the term was in 2019 when a friend decided to purchase a home within a newly built development in northeast Portland. I was wary. And so, my education in cohousing began.
The modern notion of cohousing emerged from Denmark in the late ‘60s / early 70s from groups of families who felt they were struggling with work/life balance. The movement spread out around the world from there. The concept is that individual homes are built around a car free common space. The goal is to preserve a household’s privacy and autonomy while still fostering community. Community members self-manage, sharing childcare, gardens, and community maintenance. They often share in celebrations and meals together.
While this differs from the way most Americans are living today, this is probably the way humans had thrived for most of human history. The system succeeds when all members are open to receiving from and contributing to their community, even when personalities don’t align. This system is both economically and environmentally beneficial due to the amount of resource sharing that occurs naturally.
There are health benefits as well. In 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy published his advisory on the “Loneliness Epidemic.” He writes, “it harms both individuals and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is like that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day…”
I understand that one can feel lonely surrounded by people, but I do think it is harder when you are an integral part of a community, the way cohousing requires one to be. While I don’t think cohousing is for everyone, I think it is a great option for many. Are you curious to know more? Let’s connect.
Alina Aliyar
Broker | OR & WA
She/Her
I think my background as a pastry chef prepared me well for real estate. Structure and visual appeal are key in both. The analogy really drops off with taste - because I need to strongly advise you against eating the paint chips in any home, especially those built before 1978...
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