This is Cohousing: The Cohousing Podcast

The Cohousing Company
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Design
  • Updated Bimonthly

THIS IS COHOUSING: The Cohousing Podcast, from The Cohousing Company and hosted by architect, author, and cohousing pioneer Charles Durrett. For nearly 40 years, Charles has explored how design and community can help us live more sustainably, affordably, and connected to one another. Through conversations with residents, organizers, architects, and developers, this podcast explores the ideas, history, and real-world practice of cohousing—and how better neighborhoods can create a better future.

  1. Sep 2

    This is Cohousing | Ep 15 | Reparatory Real Estate & Self-Determined Communal Living with Senait Brown

    In this episode, Chuck sits down with Senait Brown of House of Mkeka, an eight-household intergenerational pocket neighborhood being developed by Black families in Seattle. Senait, a community organizer and single parent, shares how her community chose what they call "self-determined communal living": pooling their collective net worth and pursuing grants, donations, and community resources rather than taking on thirty-year mortgages or accepting the AMI and resale caps of conventional affordable housing.The conversation moves from the practical to the profound. Senait explains their "reparatory real estate" model as a direct response to redlining, foreclosure, and generations of exclusion from the wealth-building tools other Americans took for granted. She and Chuck trade hard-won strategies for finding land in a tight market — from faith-based land initiatives and city surplus sites to the biases that persist even when the money is in hand. In one striking moment, Senait recounts a fully funded land deal that fell through simply because a seller didn't want to see a Black community empowered, and why they refused to put a white face out front to make it easier.They also dig into what makes cohousing actually work: designing decision by decision rather than brick by brick, the pre-development "healing work" that funders overlook, parking and car-free design, and what Senait calls "Afro security" — designing for protection and belonging in light of the community's history. Woven throughout are the principles guiding the project, from Kwanzaa to Ubuntu — "I am because we are" — and Muhammad Ali's two-word poem, "Me, We."A wide-ranging, hopeful conversation about building community as, in Senait's words, an act of revolution. Learn more about House of Mkeka: https://www.houseofmkeka.org/ #Cohousing #SeniorCohousing #Community #Belonging #Loneliness #AgingWell #IntentionalCommunity For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 15 | Reparatory Real Estate & Self-Determined Communal Living with Senait Brown

  2. Aug 18

    This is Cohousing | Ep 14 | The Antidote to Isolation with Dr. Richard Louis Miller

    What makes us feel like we belong? Psychologist, author, and podcast host Dr. Richard Louis Miller joins Charles Durrett to make the case that connection isn't a luxury — it's a biological need we've engineered out of modern life, and one that cohousing is uniquely built to restore. Dr. Miller traces how architecture, economics, and the pandemic have manufactured isolation and offers small, concrete antidotes anyone can start this week: introduce yourself to a stranger, wave at the four-way stop, make one phone call instead of sending a text. The conversation then turns to seniors, where Dr. Miller argues that "acting your age is dangerous," that aging is fundamentally about maintenance, and that senior cohousing offers a way for people to genuinely come alive again. Charles shares the practical details that make cohousing click — from remarkably affordable internet to sharing a single lawnmower across dozens of households — alongside the deeper story of neighbors who supported one another through their final years at home. Learn more about the Study Group 1 facilitator training (starting October 7, 2026): cohousingco.com/products/p/sg1 Dr. Richard Louis Miller's Podcast: Mind Body Health Politics #Cohousing #SeniorCohousing #Community #Belonging #Loneliness #AgingWell #IntentionalCommunity For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 14 | The Antidote to Isolation with Dr. Richard Louis Miller

  3. Aug 17

    This is Cohousing | Ep 13 | Bridging the Cultural Divide through Cohousing with Alan O'Hashi

    Can cohousing do what so much of American life can't — bring genuinely different people together? In this episode, host Charles Durrett sits down with Alan O'Hashi, a longtime resident of Silver Sage Cohousing in Boulder, Colorado — one of the first senior cohousing communities in the country — and author of Aging Gratefully in Good Company. Charles was the original schematic architect for Silver Sage, and the two reconnect for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about race, belonging, aging, and affordability in community. Alan reflects on a lifetime of collaborative living, from a large extended family to co-op houses to senior cohousing, and on his experience as one of the few people of color in a predominantly white movement — "the raisin in the Silver Sage oatmeal." Drawing on his Japanese American upbringing and his travels to intentional communities in South Africa, he challenges the idea that cohousing is a Western invention and asks what it would look like built by and for the other 98 percent. Together, Charles and Alan dig into why cohousing skews white and affluent, how it might evolve from a social movement into a social norm, the real work of bridging cultural divides, and why affordability comes down to getting organized. Alan also shares the moment cohousing's meaning became undeniable — when neighbors showed up at his door during a health crisis — and what living in community has taught him about elder hood. Whether you're forming a community, living in one, or wondering who cohousing is really for, this conversation offers honest, hard-won insight. Mentioned in this episode: Aging Gratefully in Good Company by Alan O'hashiThe Senior Cohousing Handbook by Charles DurrettStudy Group One: Aging SuccessfullyNeuro-Inclusive Community Design by Charles DurrettNational Cohousing Alliance For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 13 | Bridging the Cultural Divide through Cohousing with Alan O'Hashi

  4. Jul 28

    This is Cohousing | Ep 12 | Getting Your Cohousing Community Approved with Marty Maskall

    Hear from the project manager who "project managed a project into existence."In this episode, Charles talks with tenacious project manager, Marty Maskall about what it actually takes to get a cohousing project approved. Together they discuss preparing for the obstacles, the hardships of the zoning process, how to win over the neighbors, the city, and the county. Learn when to fight the bureaucrats and when to punt, and why the group's willingness to keep showing up can make all the difference.They also get into the parts that come after approval — hiring real professionals, moving from an LLC through construction to an HOA at turnover, choosing the right type of cohousing for you.Marty's path into cohousing: facing a hundred neighbors who showed up in opposition; her group had twenty. How she handled the failures and what Marty calls "a lack of political courage on the part of officeholders." Finally what her life is like today, living in a community with thirty homes on three and a half acres that previously held a single household.Her advice, and the line Chuck calls the most important thing said in the episode: "we have far more power than we realize. You don't need to see the whole thing before you take the first step." For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 12 | Getting Your Cohousing Community Approved with Marty Maskall

  5. Jul 13

    This is Cohousing | Ep 11 | The Anthropology of Culture Change & Cooperation with Richard Senghas

    Join Charles Durrett on This is Cohousing as he sits downwith anthropologist Richard Senghas. Together they explore what appliedanthropology can teach us about building community — and about changing cultureitself. Richard has lived in cohousing for 25 years and helped start two communities, including the exceptional FrogSong in Cotati, California. Drawing on his background studying how humans use language and build relationships, he and Charles dig into the heart of what makes cohousing work: the practice of "intentionally accidentally" bumping into your neighbors, the discipline of deep listening, and the slow, habitual work of becoming the kind of people who can live well together. Along the way they cover the three questions at the root of every cohousing design — who are we as a culture, who do we want to become, and how do we get there — as well as why FrogSong got built in three years, on time and under budget; Robert Bellah's Habits of the Heart; why diverse expertise beats "like-minded" groups every time; the sharing economy of a real neighborhood; the loneliness epidemic among older Americans; and Richard's compelling argument that cohousing isn't about recovering the old village, but building genuinely new ones for the challenges ahead. Above all, this is a conversation about cooperation — not as an ideal, but as a practical tool for a richer, lighter, less lonely life. For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠nccoho.org⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 11 | The Anthropology of Culture Change & Cooperation with Richard Senghas

  6. Jun 29

    This is Cohousing | Ep 10 | Rebooting Community: From Conflict to Connection with Julia Jongkind

    What does it take for a cohousing community to function at its fullest potential? In this episode, Charles Durrett sits down with educational learning consultant and facilitator Julia Jongkind, who has spent two decades living in cohousing, helping struggling communities find their footing again. Drawing from her experience rebooting three different communities, Julia shares the surprisingly simple practices that can make the difference between a meeting and a meaningful conversation.Julia offers practical wisdom for creating stronger, more resilient communities, such as setting expectations between owners and renters early on. She explains why every voice needs to be heard, how skilled facilitation can prevent meetings from becoming battlegrounds, and why routing conflict through a trusted facilitator helps even the most conflict-averse members feel comfortable.This episode's biggest takeaway shows how many conflicts that look personal are actually structural. A disagreement between neighbors may be rooted in an unclear policy or a rushed decision made years earlier. Together they unpack how communities can identify (and fix), the real source of tension.The conversation also explores the quiet habits that keep communities healthy over time: the power of a knock on the door instead of another email, the importance of a community's "elders," the balance between contribution and gratitude. Why it's important to revisit the community's mission and vision as they evolve, and how growing up in cohousing shaped Julia's own family in lasting ways.For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠nccoho.org⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 10 | Rebooting Community: From Conflict to Connection with Julia Jongkind

  7. Jun 17

    This is Cohousing | Ep 9 | From Me to We: The Philosophy of Living in Community with Carl Hall

    What can a philosophy professor teach us after two decades of living in community? In this episode of This Is Cohousing, Charles Durrett sits down with Carl Hall — resident of Nevada City Cohousing and professor of philosophy for 34 years. Carl reflects on the journey of how an avowed introvert came to find social heaven among 34 households, why cooperation deserves the benefit of the doubt, and how cohousing offers a sanctuary from what he sees as a growing culture of separation. Building on ideas developed by philosophers throughout history, and a lifetime of teaching, Carl and Charles explore belonging, the art of listening, and aging with purpose. Together they solve the simple cohousing math where one plus one equals three. For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠nccoho.org or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 9 | From Me to We: The Philosophy of Living in Community with Carl Hall

  8. Jun 10

    This is Cohousing | Ep 8 | Out of Denial, Into Community: Quimper Village with Carolyn & Jack Salmon

    Quimper Village is about as elegant as the cohousing process gets. In this episode, host Charles Durrett sits down with founding members Carolyn and Jack Salmon to unpack how their senior cohousing community on Washington's Olympic Peninsula went from a church meeting to a finished neighborhood with 28 homes in just three years.They talk about getting out of denial about aging, the "no green bananas" urgency that kept the group moving, why they completed Study Group One twice, and the record-setting site design workshop that produced twelve viable plans. Carolyn and Jack also share the philosophy that anchored everything — "you're buying a community, and a nice house comes with it" — and explain why hiring the right project manager (and keeping group members out of that role) made all the difference.Whether you're forming a community, designing one, or just curious how cohousing actually comes together, this conversation is full of hard-won, practical wisdom.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode:State of the Art Cohousing: Lessons Learned from Quimper Village by Alexandria Levitt & Charles DurrettCohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods by Charles Durrett For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , quimpervillage.com or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    This is Cohousing | Ep 8 | Out of Denial, Into Community: Quimper Village with Carolyn & Jack Salmon
See All (16)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

THIS IS COHOUSING: The Cohousing Podcast, from The Cohousing Company and hosted by architect, author, and cohousing pioneer Charles Durrett. For nearly 40 years, Charles has explored how design and community can help us live more sustainably, affordably, and connected to one another. Through conversations with residents, organizers, architects, and developers, this podcast explores the ideas, history, and real-world practice of cohousing—and how better neighborhoods can create a better future.

Information

You Might Also Like