The common house is available for gatherings and, in our case, will include a sitting area with fireplace, a shared laundry, guest rooms, library, play areas, workshop space, and screened porch. The shared spaces allow the houses to be smaller, and therefore more economical and resource efficient. Substantial resident involvement in the design and construction process is central to cohousing, so the housing and neighborhood as a whole truly suit the needs of the occupants. Cohousing communities often include people of varied ages and diverse incomes and backgrounds, and are democratically developed and governed by the residents. Cohousing communities are not communes.
Residents have individual homes, attached or detached, owned by the residents, and fully salable.
Nor are these communities a radical new form of housing that's only for a few and which banks won't finance. Cohousing legalities are almost identical to condominiums, and because they are generally pre-sold, they are sometimes easier to finance than other developments. For many reasons cohousing communities have become increasingly attractive. We feel the potential is strong here on Martha's Vineyard. Vineyarders are inventive about housing, and there is a growing sense that isolated suburban style development fails to maintain our desirable rural qualities and fulfill community needs.