Cohousing/Coliving - Do you see yourself here?
Creating your own Coliving or Cohousing intentional living environment may appeal to you if you are interested in:
- Building your own support network of friends and trusted community members
- Living in a community of people with similar values or interests as yours
- The sharing economy
- Doing what you can to lighten the load on the environment
- Having more time to do the things you want to do
WREN Coliving/Cohousing Chair, Alisa Choi Darcy, a marketer by trade and social entrepreneur by design, has been a community builder since 2016 when she joined the not-for-profit, I TALK TO STRANGERS.
“Developing environments where strangers can interact with each other—judgement-free, respectful, and friendly—can help answer some of our biological needs. Biologically, we strive for environments that make us feel safe and secure, that we will be cared for if we’re hurt."
Necessity? Or Desire?
Coliving today needn’t exist just out of necessity—to save money or to be able to live closer to work. Coliving can be created with people who have similar interests or values. Think of an Artist-in-Residence series of studios with shared common living spaces. Or vegan friends. Or parents who believe it takes a village to raise children. Or...
WREN Can Help You Create Your OWN Coliving Situation!
Whether you’re a renter, own your own home, or wish to co-own with someone, WREN’s educational platform provides you with the resources, tools, and inspiration you need to create a shared coliving home with others—a home that feeds your soul and where you can engage with housemates who support your interests and energize you.
- WREN offers a Mastermind Series for Cohousing/Coliving, as well as a series of Cohousing/Coliving webinars.
- Sign up for WREN’s e-newsletter below or register today for the Cohousing/Coliving Masterminds and Series of Webinars. WREN members receive deep discounts!
- For more info about becoming a WREN member, click here.
Want to learn more?
Happipad Resources
Visit our Community Partner Happipad to access many great resources:
- How to take inviting photos of your homeshare
- How to prepare your home for sharing
- How to interview a prospective housemate
- Setting up for success: house rules and expectations
- How to prep for move-in day
- Tips for avoiding conflict
To apply to become a Happipad host or to share a house with a Happipad member, click here and mention “WREN” for your special discount on membership rate.
Cohousing in Canada – Background and Current Activity
Cohousing is relatively new in Canada. The thought of a verdant sprawling property away from the hustle and bustle—as well as your own private home within a stone’s throw of a community of friends—holds great appeal for many homeowners these days; homeowners of all ages. In Canada, the small (but none-the-less difficult to overcome) stumbling blocks are the (archaic) zoning bylaws still enforced in most municipalities. In addition, many land use designations don’t support a Cohousing development.
However, there are a few Canadian municipalities who have reworked their bylaws to permit Cohousing. Click on this link to see some existing projects in Canada and, for comparison, in the US.
Currently, a few WREN members are thrilled to be actively involved in developing cohousing projects.
Sign up to get first dibbs to rent and experience a WREN cohousing project.
For more background, read: Inter-generational Living – The New, but Old, Housing Trend
Learn More
Sign up for WREN’s e-newsletter or register today for the Cohousing/Coliving Masterminds and Series of Webinars.
WREN would also love it if you would show your support for municipalities that are developing Cohousing/Coliving projects in your area by writing letters of support for these initiatives to your local city councillors!
Interested in Investing in a Cohousing or Coliving Project?
