Why is this grassroots alternative now arising?

People are seeking alternatives to the car-oriented suburban way of life that isolates so many people in their retirement years. Co-housing communities offer nurturing places where people grow and age well in a community of like-minded people. Co-housing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods. Co-housing 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 extensive common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house.

Co-housing communities are usually designed as attached homes along one or more pedestrian streets or clustered around a courtyard. They range in size from 7 to 67 residences, the majority of them housing 20 to 40 households – Phoenix Commons has 41 units. Regardless of the size of the community, there are many opportunities for casual meetings between neighbors, as well as for deliberate gatherings such as celebrations, clubs and business meetings.

The “common house” (or community space) is designed to give extensive amenities not found in most communities, so the units live larger than a common condo or attached home. Phoenix Commons’ common area is over 7,000 square feet, just under the size of three houses. The common house is the social center of the community, with a large dining room and kitchen, lounges or community rooms, exercise or fitness area, recreational facilities, workshop and laundry room. Communities often have a separate guest unit in or near the common house where guests often stay free of charge when they visit. Communities usually serve optional group meals in the common house up to five times a week. The need for community members to take care of common property builds a sense of working together, trust and support as well as substantially reducing costs. Because neighbors hold a commitment to a relationship with one another, almost all co-housing communities use consensus as the basis for group decision-making.

Senior communities like Phoenix Commons also address the need for universal design (barrier-free living that is already adapted to address issues of aging) that fosters independence even in the later years. Green building also allows occupants to live lighter on the earth and enjoy energy savings of modern construction. The group purchasing capability of co-housing/cooperative communities achieve many financial and quality advantages as well.

Source: Information for this question is gained from literature provided by the Cohousing Association of the United States – http://www.cohousing.org (Edited and modified to accommodate space requirements).