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How does one go about locating a cohousing community that is a good personal fit? Here are my suggestions on how to go about finding a healthy, vibrant, and happy community.
For lots of background information, join and follow the national cohousing listserv (www.cohousing.org/cohousing-l) to read current conversations that are taking place. Watch videos about cohousing (www.cohousing.org/videos) and read the Best of Communities Cohousing Compilation (www.ic.org/community-bookstore/product/cohousingcompilation). Use a variety of ways to do your research (www.cohousing.org/node/1717) and follow Diana Leafe Christians tips for making the most of your cohousing visits (www.cohousing.org/node/1538). Go to meetings, eat meals, and interview people. Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions, and don't rely on what just a handful of people tell you.
If you really are adventuresome and willing to relocate, travel the country and visit a wide variety of communities, as did Keith Carlson (maryandkeith.blogspot.com) and Two Chicks and a Guppie (twochicksandaguppy.wordpress.com). Or find a housesitting or short-term rental opportunity (www.ic.org/short-term-vacation-cohousing-a-great-wayto-learn) in a community. Better yet, rent or share a rental with someone in a community for a longer period, as I did, before making a commitment.
What Will Your Questions Be?
Identify first your own high priority needs and values. Are you mostly looking for a sense of community? Or is sustainability an equal passion, with specific ideas you want to see implemented? Do you most value support for aging in place? Living with many generations, including children? Support for children and families? A high level of shared resources and activities? A farm or ecovillage with lots of land and gardens, or an urban, bicycle community? Intense focus on sustainability and climate change activism, or not so much? A spiritual focus and strong commitment to consensus, or more focus on efficiency with some hierarchy involved? A community with a lot of meetings and teams, or one with less to do and more fun? Shared meals that cater to your food preferences, or are you an omnivore?
Communal Life
Most folks are drawn to cohousing communities primarily for their social, collab- orative, and communal cultures. Here are the questions you might ask:
* How do people get along at such close quarters and how well do they communicate?
* What is the community's culture in regard to...