Cohousing balances togetherness and privacy, both physically by combining private homes with common facilities, and socially by combining a collaborative community with respect for the separate lives of each individual and household.

The Cohousing Association of the United States provides the following definition of cohousing:

Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods.

Cohousing residents are consciously committed to living as a community. The physical design encourages both social contact and individual space. Private homes contain all the features of conventional homes, but residents also have access to common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house.

We encourage you to explore the Cohousing Association's site, which is the best source of information on American cohousing.

There are at least 10 completed cohousing communities in Massachusetts, including 4 in the greater Boston area, and more are underway.