Cohousing, sometimes referred to as cooperative housing, has been prevalent for many years in Europe, and it started in Scandinavia. It is a recent phenomena here in the United States. Cohousing communities are resident developed neighborhoods which combine private homes with a shared community environment component, such as a community house, play areas, etc. Cohousing communities are planned and managed by residents. Typically, residents own the land in front of, under, and in back of their houses and share ownership of the common outdoor space and facilities. A standard configuration is a cluster of private homes with a large shared backyard space forming a parklike area in the center. Sharing may involve a variety of responsibilities, tasks, equipment, and pleasures such as community meals. Residents share in the maintenance of common property. Every household may also be expected to pay monthly dues to cover the cost of shared facilities and activities.
The proposed Covell Village development was slated to include a new cohousing community. This was expected to be a 30-35 townhome community with potential common facilities include dining, shared children's play rooms, sitting room, workshop, guest rooms, laundry, and hot tub. Preliminary price estimates of a privately owned townhouse with a share of the common facilities ranged from $250,000 to $550,000.
More info on Cohousing can be found at http://www.cohousing.org The Cohousing Association of the United States website.
The Davis Cooperative Community Network maintains a shared applicant pool for people interested in applying to a cooperative community (including cohousing), so they may be contacted by any cooperative community with openings.
