Catalyzing Cohousing in Minnesota
Twin Cities Cohousing Network (TCCN) has partnered with The Cohousing Association of the United States (CohoUS). This partnership offers TCCN’s partnership supporters access to all CohoUS recordings, events, and resources during 2022 with an annual gift of $60 or more. (The Cohousing US individual partnership fee is $150; joining with TCCN is a savings of $90 per calendar year.)
See all partnership benefits here.
Register for one or more of the three FREE story circle sessions and engage with others interested in cohousing. Story Circle sessions are offered via Zoom on Thursdays, Mar 24, 31, and Apr 7, 2022 from 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
A story circle is a time-honored tradition of telling stories without interruption until everyone in the circle who wishes to speak has spoken. The uniqueness of our own story settled next to other stories provides insight into similarities and differences in our backgrounds and experiences and opens us to deeper understanding. Discussion and questions follow as time permits.
Register for one or more of the three FREE story circle sessions and engage with others interested in cohousing as we share our stories and discuss cohousing.
Story Circle sessions are offered via Zoom
Thur — Mar 24, Mar 31, Apr 7, 2022 — 7:00-8:30 PM CDT
Please read Steps to Get Ready for the story circle/s that you are interested in attending. Our story circle guidelines are also listed on the Steps to Get Ready page on the course site.
Register on the course site to attend 1, 2, or all 3 (limit of 20 registrations per session)
Each session’s unique story circle prompt is selected to help us understand an aspect of the appeal of living in a cohousing community — as well awareness of the challenges and opportunities that may arise. Cohousing resources on this site complement our learning for those who want to deepen their understanding of cohousing and how it differs from kinds of housing and living arrangements.
These sessions are FREE to help the instructor test the format. Free-will donations to Twin Cities Cohousing Network are greatly appreciated. The course facilitator volunteers her time and is not selling a product or representing any product for sale. The materials in this course are publicly available and have been curated to encourage participants to explore them. Each session is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.
View event recording
Followup Resources (PDF)
We know there is a huge need for affordable housing in the Twin Cities. And many of us are interested in affordable cohousing units. What strategies should cohousing groups implement to bring down costs?
A national cohousing conference last October centered on this pivotal concern about affordability, drawing on examples from communities recently built. In February, three local cohousing advocates who attended that conference will report on some of the highlights, and then attendees will have a chance to join the discussion.
If housing affordability is important to you, and cohousing is appealing as a way to live, please join us as we attempt to co-create and spread approaches that can work here.
TCCN’s ad hoc planning circle seeks people interested in maximizing cohousing networking and fun for Minnesotans who attend the National Cohousing Conference in Madison, WI, August 25-28, 2022.
The group will help Catalyze Cohousing in Minnesota by encouraging Minnesotans to register for the conference and making it fun and accessible for Minnesotans to participate in a variety of ways.
What inspires you to participate?
Ready to get involved? Email Becca Brackett of Cedar Cohousing, LLC to let her know of your interest.
Register to attend Twin Cities Cohousing Network’s final quarterly meeting of 2021 and engage with supporters of cohousing. The topic is resource sharing. Please bring a memory of a time when you shared a resource with others. Participants will also hear from guest Rick Gravrok, a resident of Monterey Cohousing Community, about the way that resources are shared in his community.
Due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19, this will be a Zoom event. Register in advance to receive your Zoom meeting link.
Paul Wehrwein, an cohousing enthusiast who has volunteered with Twin Cities Cohousing Network for a number of years on the Events Circle, is starting the process of creating a senior cohousing community (50+) in the west metro area. Paul and his partner have begun by inviting those people who might be interested in learning about each other to gather once a month with the goal of having fun socializing while getting to know each other and and sharing their ideals for what a senior cohousing community could be. Informal gatherings will be held rain or shine at the Como Park fire rings on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:00 P.M. Download the flyer for details and contact information for Paul.
Although Duluth is beyond the Twin Cities metropolitan borders, The Duluth area has a number of people interested in cohousing and Twin Cities Cohousing Network is happy to help inform our viewers about them.
Lee Pedersen, an active cohousing organizer has held MeetUp meetings in Duluth for a couple of years and has generated a number of regulars. According to Lee, a group seeking to create an intergenerational cohousing community has recently split off and is now hoping to purchase land.
Lee, who is specifically interested in senior cohousing, is now recruiting individuals who would prefer a senior-focused cohousing community that will help seniors thrive as they age in community with each other. Her new initiative is called Active Adult Cohousing for the Northland. Click the link to Lee’s information on Cohousing USA to see what she envisions and to find her contact information.
Have you heard about the amazing inventions they’re trying out on Mars!?
There’s an amazing innovation here on earth, and Trish Becker-Hafnor is going to tell us about it.
Join us as we watch, then discuss, Trish’s short, lively TEDx Talk, Cohousing and the Future of Community and Human Connection.
Trish shares what is groundbreaking about CoHousing, an newer form of intentional community. She also shares how her cohousing community has affected her family and neighbors. Trish is an educator, activist, parent and community co-founder.
Cohousing is just one point on a wide spectrum of communal living models, and it’s basically built around three principles: shared space, shared time, and shared values. — Trish Becker-Hafnor
Whether you are taking a small next step towards your future in community, or simply an interesting evening in the company of others, you’re welcome to register for this special Zoom event by using the link below.
Zoom registration link. Completing this form allows us to send you a confirmation email with the link to the event.