“It’s not as if everyone is my close friend,” a longtime resident explained.
“But there isn’t one person who wouldn’t be there if I needed them.”
“By its nature, cohousing is an efficient way to live,” reads a Takoma Village brochure.
“By owning real estate in common and sharing appliances and tools, each household owns less ‘stuff.’
For example, each household owns 1/43 of the lawnmower and the exercise equipment.”
Also fun, ecofriendly and people-friendly, if not necessarily right for everyone.
Here’s How It Works
- Who lives at Takoma Village Cohousing?
Eight out of 10 residents are white, and six percent of the residents identify as LGBT.
After 15 years, 60 percent of residents are still founding owners.
How did Takoma Village Cohousing come together?
A developer had found the infill property and contactedAnn Zabaldo, a national cohousing leader.
“Would cohousing work there?”
“Give me 30 days and $600, and I’ll find out,” Zabaldo recalls saying.
“People who know people who know people.”
The Takoma Village Cohousing pioneers were able to pre-sell 75 percent of the units within nine months.
Owners had input into the design, from colors to floor plans.
Groundbreaking was in the fall of 1999, and the first owners moved in on November 17, 2000.
Is cohousing a co-op, a homeowners' association, a commune?
But more to the point, cohousing is an intentional community.
“It’s like the old-fashioned neighborhood of the future,” says another.
[A common meal] saves me a lot of work."
What’s private property and what’s public property in a cohousing complex?
Takoma Village Cohousing features two rows of privately owned condos and townhouses that face each other across a green.
Outside features include a hot tub, garden, playground, piazza and backyard hammock.
The grounds and parking lot are common space as well.
What’s the governance structure?
As with any condo, a board of directors complies with the legal structure of the condominium.
The board doesn’t issue edicts.
Instead, important decisions are made by consensus of the whole, not by majority vote.
“We discuss it until we come to agreement,” explains one owner.
Everyone has to agree?
How does anything get done?
“It takes a long time,” says one, laughing.
Often, enough communication happens in person and online before a meeting that official decisions come easily.
Budget matters have become easier over time, owners say.
“But overall, we were a pretty agreeable bunch most of the time.”
How does cohousing work financially?
Owners pay their own property taxes plus a monthly condo fee.
Also, economies of scale work to everyone’s advantage.
(There’s a common Internet provider, for instance.)
What do they do?
Some work is regular and structured, while other work is as needed, like shoveling snow.
What about people who can’t do physical labor?
Or people with odd schedules?
There’s plenty to do for everyone, residents say.
An older or disabled owner might take minutes at meetings or confer with consultants or plan events.
People with odd schedules are considered an asset.
Those around during the day let in repair people, accept deliveries and even handle emergencies.
Does the work system ever break down?
Do some people not contribute?
There is the occasional orphan task, and the problem of not contributing is also occasional.
“I think all cohousing communities struggle with that,” one owner says.
“We don’t have enforcement mechanisms.”
One way to avoid the problem is to educate potential residents.
Another helpful point, several owners say, is realizing that perception may not be reality.
How is Takoma Park Cohousing an ecofriendly community?
Light pipes (similar to skylights) brighten the upper floors.
Pesticide use is minimal and food waste is composted.
Communal ownership of everything from treadmills to outdoor grills means less consumption.
Recycling bins are everywhere, including for unwanted mail.
One owner collects batteries for recycling.
What are the advantages of living in cohousing?
The most common answer: “mutual support,” which residents define in many different ways.
Some take part in optional shared meals, which reduce the burden on working parents.
In a similar vein, parents appreciate the sense of having a village to raise a child.
Stockdale has a six-year-old daughter who walks herself to visit a friend.
“I feel safe with that,” she adds.
The child also enjoys being able to hang out in the common house playroom.
On a larger level, there’s always someone to socialize with.
There are movie nights and Presidential inaugural viewing parties.
“Sometimes gatherings just materialize,” one owner notes.
What are some disadvantages?
Some cohousing communities handle this by charging user fees.
Takoma Village Cohousing does not.
As one resident points out, “Somebody’s always supportingsomethingthat they don’t use.”
Another potential downside is the extra need for good communication.
How does the community handle conflicts?
Some cohousing communities have a formal dispute resolution group.
Takoma Village Cohousing does not.
Owners did conduct nonviolent communication workshops early on, which several mentioned finding valuable.
The advice for problems among neighbors is low-key communication in person or over the Listserve for something systemic.
How much privacy do residents have?
“Cohousing neighborhoods are designed for privacy as well as community.
Residents balance privacy and community by choosing their own level of engagement,” states the Coho/US website.
Several owners nod when one offers, “I do think there is a sort of visual privacy.
We see stuff going on, but we don’t intervene.”
What attracts potential buyers to Takoma Village Cohousing?
The Metrorail station two blocks away is a major draw.
Is there an approval process for new owners, like in a co-op?
Because cohousing is about community, fellow owners want to double-check new neighbors truly buy in to the concept.
As one member put it, “You want to sell your place, right?
We want to check that the next person coming in is a good fit.
So let’s work together.”
We’re more organized about that than we used to be."
Do Takoma Village Cohousing residents encounter stereotypes or misconceptions about cohousing?
Even whatNew York TimescolumnistDavid Brooks called Bobos, or “bourgeois Bohemians.”
Were, or are, there zoning or other special requirements to create cohousing complexes like Takoma Village Cohousing?
So generally, the requirements are simply those of any multifamily housing.
“This is where we really need a cohousing zoning code,” explains Zabaldo.
“Reduce the conflicts in zoning and condominium laws for cohousing,” says Zabaldo.
“Better still, draft legislation specifically for cohousing.”
Ellen Ryan is a Maryland-based freelance writer and editor.
