Communities Living Longer, Living Better: Adventures in Community Housing For Those in the Second HalfofLife, Jane Porcino, 1991, The Continuum Publishing Company, $15.95. Many who live in the suburbs are dependent on someone else to get them to shopping, work, social activities and healthcare. The elderly, the very young, those on medication, the tired, injured, differently-abled and the poor are often particularly constrained. There are, however, alternatives that free us from dependence on cars and foster real community feeling. Living Longer, Living Better uncovers those often hidden housing options. The people interviewed are ‘ ‘maintaining a lifestyle that offers them both privacy and community, more housing for less money, and social contact with those of similar interests”. This book is not a guide to individual communities. It is an exploration of the increased independence and interdependence of different community living options. Though written with older people in mind, it is useful to any person looking for an extended family or genuine support network. One concept that has potential in any organization of shared values is the structured community, used within the Catholic Church, called Teams. Small groups of families formally commit themselves to each other “to share joys and sorrows, to help in times of need, to share construction, gardening, and cooking skills, and to delight in each family’s growth.” The Teams encourage the development of trust and hospitality, for example when Team members leave their kids with others and then visit international Team members. Cohousing has sparked much interest lately. Pioneered in Denmark in 1972, cohousing consists of closely built individual homes and one common house, through which people learn to know and care about each other. In the common house, dinner may be shared seven nights a week, each person taking turns with preparation. This lowers food costs and frees time formerly dedicated to daily cooking. Common houses are used for childcare, guest rooms, exercise areas, community stores, etc. In cohousing design, cars are kept at the perimeter so that children and adults can play safely. Community space helps develop real support networks for young families and the elderly, radically decreasing the need to drive. Each resident serves on a task committee in lieu of professional management, cutting costs and increasing community involvement. The book outlines the basic steps necessary to form a cohousing group. For more information contact The CoHousing Company, 48 Shattuck Square, Suite 15, Berkeley, CA 94704 (415) 549-9980. ECHO (Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity) homes or “elder cottages” help you share your life with elderly relatives. In Amish communities, when the younger couples take over the farming, the elders move to a nearby small house and supervise the farm. Elder cottages are prefabricated homes similarly placed in the backyard of a family member, with installation costs of about $18,000. The proximity encourages the sharing of meals, childcare, and social time without giving up independence and privacy. Those interested in ECHO housing can contact: Coastal Colony Corporation, 2923 Meadow View, Manheim, PA 17545. Communes, condominiums, continuing care communities, life-care communities, enriched housing, cooperative housing, home-sharing, one-to-one sharing, intentional communities, small-group living and retirement communities are each covered from the view of present or past participants. This gives the reader a sense of which kind of community meets which needs. The book cautions that community living isn’t for everyone, it is “appropriate for anyone who enjoys being with people, communicates well with others, is flexible and open-minded, finds living alone unappealing, and who needs housing and companionship. People who are not right for shared living are those who are fussy, rigid, and demanding in their daily-life patterns”, or who wish to remain so. Primarily about the U.S., the book also covers community living in parts of Europe. The extensive bibliography and resource list provide detailed access to all kinds of community living. So... don't be lonely anymore, read this book! Below: Jeu De Boules, Vence, Gwendolen Raverat, 1922. Page so Rain Winter/Spring 1992 Volume XIV, Number 2
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