Cohousing Communities after move-in: A "honeymoon" phase?
From: Craig Ragland (craigraglandgmail.com)
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:57:10 -0700 (PDT)
This question is for the residents (or former residents) of established
Cohousing communities - it is not intended for those who are part of Forming
Groups or people with visions of living in Cohousing...

Common folk-knowledge, at least what some say "authoritatively," is that a
great many cohousing communities "turn-in on themselves" after move-in. That
those communities who build all-at-once - and are completely full (or "sold
out") - stop the outreach/marketing required for recruitment and then focus
on building their community as residents - organizing the systems, building
the relationships, and doing left-over projects, e.g. landscaping. It is
said by some that many communiites completely stop looking outside their
borders, at least collectively. I've heard this referred to as a "honeymoon
phase" where the group settles down and "nests."

So, here are the questions:
1. What do you think about this folk-knowledge? Do you perceive this as
describing your community?
2. If relevant to you, do you perceive that it has shifted over time or is
it your current state?
3. If it did shift, how long do you perceive the inward-looking period? To
what do you attribute the shift? How would you describe your community
post-shift?

If you respond, please include the name of the built community and the year
of "move-in" - this is clearly a more complicated situation for projects
that were phased or retrofit communities that have long held visions of
expanding beyond your current borders. I'll share my perceptions of Songaia
Cohousing (2000) as part of the flow of responses, if any.

Thanks for your insights/opinions/beliefs/stories...

-- 
Craig Ragland

Coho/US executive director
http://www.cohousing.org
craig [at] cohousing.org

Please try email first, include your phone number (w/time zone) - or give me
a call: 425-487-3550 (Pacific)... communicate!

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