Cohousing-L Mailing List: Divorce in Cohousing

[Kevin Wolf (kjwolf]

Silva Wilson asked for stories/discussion on how cohousing has helped
couple's relationships.  At N Street, we now have two divorced couples
living in the community.  One of the partners has settled with another man
and his two kids have joined her two kids at the house she owns.  Her ex
moved into an apartment in the community about five years ago and their
daughter moves between the two houses very easily.  A second couple's
relationship finally ended after a long, amicable process towards
dissolution. He now lives in a room in the common house and she and the two
kids live in their house.  I wonder how many other communities have had
this phenomonon occur which has tremendous benefits for the kids.  Maybe it
works well here because we have a lot of rental opportunities in the
community which allows ex partners to live in the same community.  Maybe it
would work in any cohousing community if the living space opportunity was
there because cohousing members can find a way to be supportive of both
partners.  Maybe people who live in cohousing are just more mature and can
find a way to have the interest of their children overcome their differences.

Kevin 
Kevin Wolf
724 N Street
Davis, CA  95616
kjwolf [at] dcn.davis.ca.us
530-758-4211
www.dcn.davis.ca.us./go/kjwolf