These meetings are usually about three hours long and held on Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons. The group also sponsors social events, such as member retreats and potluck dinners. Cohousing breaks down many of the social barriers that make it difficult to offer or receive help. The opportunities for mutual support will multiply once the community moves onto a site. Even now, when a member of the group is in the hospital or has a child, others pitch in with meals, chores, and resources.
People also offer emotional support during times of personal crisis.
Maintaining a healthy and happy community will require the ongoing participation of every household. Decisions that affect the community will continue to be made on the basis of consensus. However, having developed the site and moved into their homes, members can look forward to less time spent in meetings and more time spent enjoying one another as friends and neighbors. Some households may choose to lead fairly private lives, without daily contact with other members. Others may be very involved, eating each night in the Common House, working in the community garden, or organizing community events.