It is no wonder many of us are reconsidering the way we want to live given the pandemic repercussions, cost of housing, working from home isolation and so much of social interactions now being online.
The concept of cohousing and multigenerational housing are not new for many cultures and countries such as Denmark, opens a new window and India, opens a new window, though a relatively new and growing trend in the United States for the last 10 years.
Multigenerational Housing
According to Generations United, opens a new window, 1 in 4 Americans currently reside in multigenerational homes with 3 or more generations living together. The West leads the US in intergenerational living, with Colorado having the 7th highest number of multigenerational households in the nation in a study cited by Smart Assets, opens a new window.
Resources
Here are some further resources on multigenerational housing that might interest you:
- AARP's 9 Ways to Design your House for Multigenerational Living, opens a new window - A guide on adapting living spaces to be safer and more comfortable for everyone.
- The National Gerontological Society of Colorado, opens a new window - The Society is working to organize and build a Multi-Generational Family Housing Coalition that uses a community directed approach. Focused on identifying issues in current housing policies that discourage multi-generational families with a focus on extremely low and low income older adults, especially Black and Latinx older adults, LBGTQA+ older adults, and urban and rural older adults.
- Changing the Narrative on Multigenerational Living, opens a new window - This article focuses on the global trend of multigenerational living and the benefits for households.
Cohousing
Another trend on the rise outside of the nuclear family household is cohousing and homesharing. This usually includes intentional housing created with some separate living space mixed with communal living areas. This could be kitchens and dining areas and/or outdoor yards.
Resources
Organizations that work in the growing cohousing field include:
- The Cohousing Association of America, opens a new window - a non-profit that advances cohousing by assisting forming and existing communities and educating the public about the benefits of cohousing.
- The National Shared Housing Resource Center, opens a new window (NSHRC) - a network of independent non-profit homesharing programs across the United States. Their goals are to raise awareness of the benefits of homesharing and to foster the development of new homesharing programs.
- Sunshine Home Share Colorado, opens a new window - a nonprofit organization assisting people 55+ to stay in their homes by safely matching them with someone seeking housing. Home sharing creates a mutually beneficial relationship, exchanging supportive services and companionship for affordable rent.
Library Resources
Additionally, check out some of Arapahoe Libraries books on cohousing and multigenerational households for further resources, personal stories and inspiration:
Books about multigenerational living and cohousing inspirations.
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