Cohousing-L Mailing List: Senior Cohousing

[Annie Russell (annie]

Hi Nicole, I'm with Wonderland Hill Development Company, the largest
developer of cohousing in the country.  I also live in cohousing, and
I'll try to answer some of your questions.  > 

 

> 1) What books/publications should I be reading as a primer?

Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant's Cohousing: A contemporary
Approach to Housing Ourselves is the bible; Charles Durrett has just
published Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living;
Dave Wann recently published Reinventing Community, and Shari Leach's
Head, Heart and Hands is a good resource for the community building
side.  All these books are available through Coho/US.

 3) What training should I be attending?

The upcoming Cohousing Conference is North Carolina is a must.  Also
check out what other workshops may be coming up through CoHo/US

> 5) What is/are the senior co-housing(s) facilities that is the 

> benchmark/standard that I should visit? Names of people who made these


> happen.  Silver Sage Village is the first affordable and market rate
cohousing community in the country.  Jim Leach, the president of
Wonderland Hill Development Company, is one of the most knowledgeable
developers in cohousing.  Dene Peterson has developed Elder Spirit in
Maryland, and know a great deal about public funding sources.

> 6) Keeping seniors in their home as long as possible is part of the 

> vision/discussion - is this part of the co-housing equation? If yes or


> no, any communities that I should look at that is doing this well.

It is definitely part of Silver Sage's Vision, Wonderland's senior
community, however we know that this won't be possible for everyone.
Chuck Durrett estimates that half of senior cohousing residents will be
able to age in the community.  We are putting a number of strategies in
place to make this more possible. 

 

Annie Russell

Community Building

Wonderland Hill Development Company

303-449-3232 x 215

www.whdc.com