Cohousing Association

A group of Coho/US members attending the 2003 national conference toured Colorado communities, including Harmony Village in Golden, CO. (Photo by Evangeline Welch)

The mission of the Cohousing Association of the United States (Coho/US) is to:

• Promote the cohousing movement
• Support individuals and groups in creating communities
• Provide assistance to completed groups for improving their systems for living together in community
• Create networking opportunities for those involved or interested in cohousing

We are committed to integrating the needs and hopes of all champions of cohousing. We believe that we can accomplish this mission on a realistic budget, through the work of many volunteers and through modest staffing. Working together, we can make a significant difference.

While each of the groups we serve, shown on the left, has distinct needs, their roles within the Association complement one another. Each of them brings a unique set of skills and resources that can enrich the others, creating a synergy to advance and promote cohousing. We need everyone’s help and contributions to make cohousing a viable option for many thousands of people.

Our ongoing projects include:

• Publish Cohousing Magazine, our online free monthly publication
• Host workshops and tours
• Expand, update and enrich our website
• Maintain a database of people interested and involved in cohousing
• Document effective practices
• Coordinate research
• Conduct outreach and PR
• Organize regional efforts
• Partner with aligned groups
• Perform other educational activities

Use our free marketing brochure to spread the word about cohousing!

Coho/US relies on contributions as our primary source of revenue. Read our 2007-09 Strategic Plan (PDF) for a deeper understanding of our priorities during the next few years.

Please contribute today to support this vital work!

History

At the 1997 National Cohousing conference in Seattle, the board of the Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Cohousing Association offered its non-profit status to the conference participants, along with bylaw changes that expanded the board and modified the focus from regional to national. Zev Paiss and Don Lindeman, who had been using “The Cohousing Network” in association with their magazine, agreed to allow the association to adopt the name. Thus, The Cohousing Network was born.

In January 2003, we changed our name to The Cohousing Association of the United States to better reflect our expanded mission and scope.

In November 2003, the board of directors transformed the Association from a traditional, fee-based member organization to a donor-supported organization. Rather than focusing on individual member benefits, we seek to promote and advance cohousing more broadly. The Association today defines its value by its success in raising the awareness of cohousing, the information we supply to potential cohousers, and the network of mutual support we can foster among existing communities and professionals who develop, design and build cohousing neighborhoods.