Non-traditional living brings satisfaction, problems

Bill Lewis, the senior editor of ZweigWhite's newsletters group, chimes in this afternoon with a look at the growing trend of co-housing:
"Cohousing is catching on in U.S. urban areas. The movement, a cooperative living arrangement imported from Denmark in the 1980s, has spread to more than 100 developments in the U.S.


"In cohousing, families, couples and single people live in communities of 30 to 40 households apiece. 'Living independently,' The Boston Globe reports, “residents share common spaces, meet regularly for operational and social purposes, and make decisions by group consensus on issues large and small, from roof repairs to all-vegan communal dinners.'

"Residents say they like the sense of community and sustainability, but also face some of the same problems encountered in traditional housing. Among them: Living green can be expensive, and credit is tight for those looking to establish new cohousing developments."