Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: CoHousing on the Ezra Klein Show

[Steve Welzer (stevenwelzer]

A spot-on discussion of the social conditions that give rise to the
loneliness crisis. And yet . . .

Amazing to me that Ezra Klein, who has so much cultural awareness
(motivated by being the host of a podcast that deals with diverse topics)
had no idea what cohousing is. Never heard of it. And then, when the author
describes it, it doesn’t even seem to register with him. Instead of
expressing interest as a potential solution to the problems being
discussed, he starts talking about how no self-respecting 40-something
would want to live in a group home akin to a college dormitory.

The writer just described how cohousing is not like that at all. It didn’t
seem to register.

The interview deals with atomization, hypermobility, lack of proximity,
lack of continuity, lack of sense of place. Anyone in our movement would
listen and want to yell out about how the communitarian solution is vital,
urgent.

But it’s antithetical to American-style socialization.

Steve Welzer
Altair EcoVillage project participant