Throughout the United States, the majority of housing is made up of suburban, single-family homes. However, as an increase in housing demands is met with a lack of usable space–especially in the drought-ridden West–many people are looking for alternatives to traditional housing methods.
Unlike the well known hippie communes of the ’60s and ’70s, cohousing is an intentional community of private residences with shared communal spaces for which each member of the cohousing community is responsible.
Homes are private and are generally clustered around shared space. Each home has traditional amenities, including a private kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and living spaces.
Common spaces can include as little as a single playground and landscaping or as much as a full facility consisting of a communal kitchen, library, meeting rooms, laundry services, a mailroom, gardens, parking, walkways and more, all of which residents are responsible for maintaining together.
However, the main characteristic of cohousing communities that sets them apart from other types of housing, is that they are generally designed–both architecturally as well as socially–to encourage interaction and care between residents, as well as including eco-friendly design elements.
In some cohousing communities, residents might share tasks such as meal prep, cooking only once or twice a month – though they find themselves cooking for 30 or more people each time.
Co-operative, cohousing or social housing has been a well-known concept to countries in the European Union and the Netherlands but has also been slowly gaining popularity within the U.S. and Canada as well.
The term cohousing originated in Denmark sometime in the late 1960s, and has spread throughout the world since then, including making its way to the U.S. in the 1980s.
The first cohousing project in Reno began in 2016, born from the River School Farm, which soon became the Dancing River Community.
The Dancing River Community is a cohousing facility involving 12 units, a common house for meetings, a dance studio, a conference room, a common laundry and the spacious grounds of the property that also contain River School Farm.
River School Farm was first opened in 1992 by husband and wife Tom and Iris Stille.
Eventually, Tom hopes the Dancing River Community will have 12 members who own 12 shares; currently, three of the shares have been sold, while Tom and Iris hold the rest and rent to those living in the unowned properties. The units each cost between $200,000-$300,000 to purchase, according to Tom.
Currently there are 13 people living on the property, including two children. Each unit contains a ground floor with a kitchen, bathroom and living room, with a loft on the second floor.
The idea behind cohousing as an alternative to more traditional methods of housing is rooted in the idea that community should be intrinsically bound with housing.
“For example, in Santa Rosa, they designed their cohousing units with the garage or parking in the back of the house, but there’s no door between the house and the garage,” said Tom. “They did that because they want people to walk around and walk in front of the units to encourage interaction between people.”
Research supports this idea; the most often cited benefits relate to social support–whether it comes from merely socializing or chore sharing or sharing resources and support with one another.
According to research done by the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, Irvine, early adopters of cohousing have generally been white, politically liberal and educated. Women seem to be represented more often than men.
This lack of diversity in cohousing could be due to a lack of knowledge, according to researchers. The UC study found that being older, more educated and an active voter predicted greater knowledge of cohousing, while being a liberal, working woman predicted greater interest in cohousing.
Still, the majority of cohousing is made up of baby boomers, which could be due to the fact that as people age, they realize they need more support, both socially and when medical issues arise.
“A good example [on the importance of cohousing] is one of our residents tripped and broke her leg a few months ago,” said Tom. “She was in a cast for a long time, and everybody around here really helped her get through it.”
In fact, many cohousing communities across the country are designed specifically for seniors, so residents can continue to live independently while also receiving support from close-by friends and neighbors. These are different from over-55 residential communities which are often planned and managed by a developer or company. Cohousing communities, on the other hand, are owned and operated by the residents themselves.
Cohousing shares similarities with condominiums or homeowner associations, which– legally–most cohousing communities are structured as.
However, something that sets cohousing apart is the fact that these communities are generally more involved with environmental awareness.
The Dancing River Community has leaned into being eco-conscious, from its solar panels, to cobb-made buildings, solar-heated water, eco-friendly laundry methods, a rainwater catchment system and much more.
“Generally, cohousing people tend to be fairly liberal. They tend to be concerned about global warming, and they tend to be concerned about living as frugally as they can,” said Tom. “So, we’ve got a lot of recycling here.”
The shared living spaces have recycled bamboo flooring, and all of the buildings are passive solar, according to Tom.
However, something that sets cohousing apart is the fact that these communities are generally more involved with environmental awareness.
The Dancing River Community has leaned into being eco-conscious, from its solar panels to cobb-made buildings, solar-heated water, eco-friendly laundry methods, a rainwater catchment system, and much more.
“Generally, cohousing people tend to be fairly liberal. They tend to be concerned about global warming, and they tend to be concerned about living as frugally as they can,” said Tom. “So, we’ve got a lot of recycling here.”
The shared living spaces have recycled bamboo flooring, and all of the buildings are passive solar, according to Tom.
Interest in cohousing in the area is already growing since the Dancing River Community paved the way. Truckee River Cohousing is another community putting its roots along the Truckee River. It’s located near Downtown Truckee.
According to Truckee River Cohousing, there are currently 15 families and singles in the group, and they’re looking to build 35-40 homes with between 70 and 90 people.
While Truckee River Cohousing is still in its infancy, the 2.5 acre parcel is located just along the Truckee River, similarly to the Dancing River Community. The project is planned to be completed sometime in 2024.
Throughout the U.S., cohousing developments are growing quickly as an alternative to traditional housing, and we could see more cropping up in the coming years throughout the Sierra Nevada region.
In 2010, there were 165 established cohousing communities in the US. In 2022, the number has almost doubled to nearly 300.
There are 77 communities logged with the national cohousing directory in California alone, including both those already established and those being formed. While Dancing River Community is still the only cohousing development currently in Nevada, if housing growth continues in the Silver State, there are sure to be more in the future.
Kelsey Penrose grew up in Carson City, Nevada, is an alumna of Arizona State University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Creative Writing with Sierra Nevada University. She lives and gardens in Washoe Valley. Support Kelsey’s work for the Sierra Nevada Ally here.
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