Living an Intentional Life: Exploring the Benefits, Realities, and Future of Community & Cooperative Living

For many reasons, community housing can be a beneficial alternative way of living that can decrease loneliness, reduce costs, boost personal growth and human connection. Creating a more village or community environment is a healthy way to learn to work with others, understand boundaries, and develop communication skills. Clearly, I'm a big proponent! Which is why I was very excited to have my long time friend, Syd Fredrickson and her colleague Zach, on the show this week to share insights about the multitude of advantages for people and the planet to consider intentional communities.

On this episode, Syd and Zach share their personal experience and extensive knowledge about cooperative housing (co-living) and offer ways to explore a variety of approaches to living this lifestyle!

Syd Fredrickson has lived most of her adult life in cooperative living groups, both urban & rural, some of them identified as intentional communities. She has been a delegate to the FEC, a board member on the FIC and served multiple terms of service to the NICA board [see organizational resources below.] Seattle Cooperative Housing Network -- an informal Facebook group that occasionally hosts in person gatherings, and which Zach and Syd both are a part of -- is a spin-off of NICA.  Syd has helped start and advise several communities. She used to run a consulting business called Under 1 Roof. She now works as an Affordable Housing Community Manager.   

Zachary has also lived most of his adult life in cooperative living groups. He plans events for the Seattle Cooperative Housing Network. He is interested in activism, walkable cities, and how technology influences society. He organizes the Seattle chapter of the Humane League and works for a small tech company. 

Resources:

Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC), ic.org
Federation of Egalitarian Communities (FEC), TheFEC.org
Cohousing Association of America, cohousing.org
Northwest Intentional Communities Association (NICA), nwcommunities.org

Sharing Housing, sharinghousing.com

 

Silvernest (for people over 50 mostly), silvernest.com

 

Seattle Cooperative Housing Network, https://www.facebook.com/groups/300309303650350