,eaaa . Il 1~,,l U Q W <br />ec_%, ona114?0A l Q()HbU5IN <br />(B) WHAT IS COHOUSING? <br />THE NEED <br />Dramatic demographic and economic changes have taken place in our society, leaving a <br />mismatch between today's households and conventional housing. Single-family houses <br />were designed for a 1950's model family with "a bread-winning father and a full-time <br />housewife." Contemporary households-characterized by smaller families, women <br />working outside the home, and growing numbers of single parents, elders, and singles <br />living alone-face a child care crisis, social isolation, and a chronic time crunch, in part, <br />because they are living in housing unsuited to their lives. <br />At the same time, an increasingly mobile society has distanced many Americans from their <br />extended families, a traditional source of social and economic support. Many of us feel the <br />effects of these trends in our own lives. Things that people once tookf or granted-family, <br />community, a sense of belonging-must now be actively sought out. <br />A HOUSING SOLUTION <br />Cohousing communities respond to the basic needs of today's households-social contact, <br />child care, and economic efficiency-by combining the autonomy of private dwellings with <br />the advantages of community living. Over 125 of these communities have been built in the <br />United States since 1991,12 of which are located in Oregon. This will be the first such <br />community to be built in Lane County. The success and growing acceptance of these <br />developments attest to the viability of this housing solution. <br />Cohousing neighborhoods are designed with the future residents to facilitate cooperation <br />between residents. Like other cohousing communities, Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing <br />(OMC) will be owned as self-contained condominiums with extensive community facilities <br />and managed by a homeowners' association. Although individual homes are designed to <br />be self-sufficient, each with its own kitchen, the common facilities are an important aspect <br />of community life, both for social and practical reasons. The community facilities in this <br />development include a sitting room, a large kitchen and dining/meeting area, two guest <br />rooms, three toilets, kid's play room, teen room, music room, laundry facilities, and <br />storage. Community facilities also include a workshop and gardens. <br />The cohousing model incorporates ideas that have already proven successful. Planned <br />retirement communities often include shared dining and other common facilities. Resident <br />involvement is recognized as a critical aspect in increasing buyer satisfaction and reducing <br />housing management costs. Utilizing conventional forms of ownership such as <br />condominiums, cohousing builds on accepted legal and financial structures. Yet, cohousing <br />communities are unique in combining a participatory planning process, neighborhood <br />design, shared facilities, and resident management to attract all ages and household types. <br />As a result, cohousing communities become cross-generational neighborhoods that <br />support traditional values of family and community. <br />PUD Tentative -June 14, 2013 Page 3 of 46 Oakleigh Coho using PDT 13-0001 <br />1362 <br />