The concept of cohousing was once based upon financial stability, shared resources, and a need for social and practical benefits.  Many in the 1960’s when the concept truly started taking hold viewed it as a form of micro-communism, and thus shunned it.

Today, it is alive, well, and thriving in many communities, including Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm in Peterborough, NH.   Residents live in communities where they have their own homes but share both responsibility for running the community as well as having shared rooms and activities.

According to cohousing.org:

“Cohousing communities are usually designed as attached or single-family homes along one or more pedestrian streets or clustered around a courtyard. They range in size from 7 to 67 residences, the majority of them housing 20 to 40 households. Regardless of the size of the community, there are many opportunities for casual meetings between neighbors, as well as for deliberate gatherings such as celebrations, clubs and business meetings.”

Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm consists of 29 quality built, environmentally-designed homes, a Common House, office/studio space, a working farm, and woodlands with walking trails. It is located on 70 acres along the Nubanusit River, about a one mile walk from downtown Peterborough, in the Monadnock Region of southwest New Hampshire.

While it may not be the most appealing proposition for many, there are those who see the benefit or are willing to make the sacrifice for the sake of the environment and the economy.

Sources: 1, 2, 3