Cohousing-L Mailing List: Fwd: Inter-generational age-in-place co-housing communities - are there any out there?

[Kathy Icenogle (kathy.icenogle]

Nancy and Jean,

You might consider Washington Village, a cohousing community in the heart
of Boulder, CO ...

We currently have 6 flats (2nd floor of 3-story building with an elevator,
underground parking, and good sound-proofing) available in a building that
will break ground for construction in November or December (depending on
how quickly the city grants the building permit), and then an estimated 18
months of construction with a super nice general contractor, who has been
doing a great job managing construction of the buildings he has completed
so far.. Once that building is done, our community will be complete.... (We
already have 14, almost 16, of 36 units occupied, half our common space
done, and several other members on board.)  The project is being developed
by Jim Leach who, as many of you know, has been at the forefront of the
cohousing movement in this country. We have a good relationship with both
Jim and the contractor.

The down side is the price point, which is a function of Boulder's rather
pricey housing market... we're built on expensive dirt.  So, the lowest
priced available unit is 1180 SF 1 BR w/Study and 1.5 baths for $775,000.

On the other hand, we will have ~7500 SF of common space to expand your
living area, including an art room, wood shop, library, space for exercise,
and 2 guest rooms... and a variety great sitting areas/gathering spaces,
and some gorgeous grounds... all within 2 blocks of neighborhood groceries,
cleaners, shopping, dining, pharmacy, banks, a lot of medical offices, and
a rec center (google 1215 Cedar, Boulder, CO), and a 15 minute walk from
downtown Boulder - and great public transportation right out the front door
of the common house... and the Univ of Colorado in Boulder offers free
classes to anyone age 55 and older.  In real estate, location is key... and
we definitely have the location, which is why the price is so high.  (BTW -
Boulder weather is nicer than you might expect of a mountain state... the
town used to be a destination for TB patients because of the weather.)

Our Healthcare Agreement requires that all residents be responsible for
their own healthcare... not that community members wouldn't help out when
support is needed. It's just that we're not assisted living or anything
like that. All of our common space, and most of our units are accessible.
We don't have anything like adult day care or elder care services
professionals living on site... But there are likely to be several of us
concerned with elder care and aging-in-place... so there maybe some
opportunity for collaboration on such things when the time comes... Also,
Boulder has a large number of service organizations helping seniors age in
place...

Also - Boulder is an ideal place to grow old - mostly because the residents
are very successful at remaining active well into their 80's and often
90's... (I'm 58 and have several 75 yr old friends running circles around
me on day hikes up to 12,000 ft. elevations!)  Boulder has all the
advantages of living in a city (easy access to everything) w/o feeling like
a city - mostly because the height limit o buildings is 55 ft (~3 stories).
It's not a matter of whether there are any fun things to do, it's a matter
of choosing which of your many options to take advantage of on a given day
or night.  Quality of life here is unbelievable. (I say that as someone who
moved from Massachusetts, and previously lived on the west coast.)

>From what I can tell, most cohousers don't seem to look for cohousing in an
urban environment... I don't know if that's lack of interest, or a shortage
of communities in urban environments. But for "aging in place" - urban has
a huge number of advantages. For one thing, the closeness of everything is
something you don't get in suburban or rural areas.  There comes a time
when you probably shouldn't drive... but you can always take a bus or walk.
Walk-ability was a big requirement on my husband and my list when we were
thinking about where we wanted to live for the rest of our lives... walking
is part of our daily lives.  The "10,000 steps" everyone tries to get on a
pedometer just happens... and that keeps everyone living long and, more
importantly, living well. Mobility plays a huge factor in aging (or not
aging).

We are mixed age/intergenerational. But - to be honest - at this price
point and in an urban location, we're not likely to get a LOT of young
families... more likely, young professionals. We're currently about 45%
not-yet-retired, with members ranging in age from 30's (I think) to some in
their mid to late 70's (I think) ... not counting kids. However, with four
rather vertical town homes (one still available)  - and another two other
units accessible only by stairs - we're bound to always have a few younger
folks living here.

In spite of all that I've said, there's still a lot more I could say.

Our public website has some info: http://www.washington-village.com/

If the price point doesn't scare you away and you're still interested,
please feel free to contact me via email and I'll send you my phone number.

I obviously like to talk about the community we've been building here, and
would be happy to answer any questions you may have re: our Community and
the units we still have available.

Kathy Icenogle
One of the resident "burning souls" 8-),
Washington Village, Boulder, CO

On Fri, Aug 7, 2015 at 6:12 AM, Nancy Baughman Csuti <nancycsuti [at] gmail.com>
wrote:

>
> I am very interested in this same thing. I am not yet in my 60's, but
> getting close. I very much want to live in cohousing. I have been unable to
> find any with single story homes (except ones in high rise buildings). I
> was wondering if the multiple level houses, which I know have a smaller
> footprint, are the only option for cohousing.
>
> My understanding from my friends in local cohousing is that they do meet
> these needs you have listed - except for the accessible construction.
>
> I am looking forward to responses.
>
> thanks,
> Nancy
> Colorado
>
> On Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 7:06 AM, Jean Foster <jean [at] jeanfoster.org> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I’m in my 60’s and have recently been struggling with caring for my own
> > elderly parents which has made me think seriously about how I want to
> spend
> > the rest of my life.
> >
> > I did try searching through the list archives and came across some
> > discussions but didn’t find exactly what I was looking for:
> > Age and end my days in my own home and community
> > Ideally this would mean homes constructed to be accessible or easily made
> > accessible from the start as well as accessible common areas
> > Live in an inter-gen community (not senior-only)
> > The community helps provide support for elderly community members needs
> > (the way many communities provide space and activities for children, e.g.
> > day care, sitting co-ops, etc)
> > A plan for allowing the elderly continue to share responsibilities as
> > their abilities decline
> > + everything else co-housing provides
> >
> > Is there anyone out there already doing this or planning such a
> community?
> >
> > thanks,
> > -jean-
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
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