What is Cohousing?
Cohousing is... "a type of collaborative housing that attempts to overcome the alienation of modern subdivisions in which no-one knows their neighbors, and there is no sense of community. It is characterized by private dwellings with their own kitchen, living-dining room etc, but also extensive common facilities. The common building may include a large dining room, kitchen, lounges, meeting rooms, recreation facilities, library, workshops, childcare.
"Usually, cohousing communities are designed and managed by the residents, and are intentional neighborhoods: the people are consciously committed to living as a community; the physical design itself encourages that and facilitates social contact. The typical cohousing community has 20 to 30 single family homes along a pedestrian street or clustered around a courtyard. Residents of cohousing communities often have several optional group meals in the common building each week."
- The Cohousing network
What books are there on cohousing?
How did this group start?
Mosaic Commons has been meeting actively since January, 2000. Our group initially evolved from conversations among members of the Sudbury Valley School community, and has since grown and expanded to include families with many other educational philosophies. We envision a community in which people from various backgrounds are celebrated.
How did you choose the name?
Choosing a name was our first exercise in consensus decision-making. We like the image of a mosaic because it describes a form where individually different pieces combine to make a larger picture.
What are your goals?
Our vision and goals are best described here, in our Vision Statement. It says in part, "Our goals are friendship - both within and outside of the community - sharing - of energy, resources, ideas and lives - and learning together. Our aim is to develop a safe, dynamic and nurturing place for all of us, children and adults, to grow, both individually and as a group."
Read the rest of our Vision Statement here
Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves
The Cohousing Handbook: 
Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independant Living
Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities
Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing
Sustainable Community: Learning from the Cohousing Model