This is Cohousing | Ep 6 | How Common Meals Nourish Cohousing with Vesanto Melina

This is Cohousing | Ep 8 | Out of Denial, Into Community: Quimper Village with Carolyn & Jack Salmon

Quimper Village is about as elegant as the cohousing process gets. In this episode, host Charles Durrett sits down with founding members Carolyn and Jack Salmon to unpack how their senior cohousing community on Washington's Olympic Peninsula went from a church meeting to a finished neighborhood with 28 homes in just three years.They talk about getting out of denial about aging, the "no green bananas" urgency that kept the group moving, why they completed Study Group One twice, and the record-setting site design workshop that produced twelve viable plans. Carolyn and Jack also share the philosophy that anchored everything — "you're buying a community, and a nice house comes with it" — and explain why hiring the right project manager (and keeping group members out of that role) made all the difference.Whether you're forming a community, designing one, or just curious how cohousing actually comes together, this conversation is full of hard-won, practical wisdom.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode:State of the Art Cohousing: Lessons Learned from Quimper Village by Alexandria Levitt & Charles DurrettCohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods by Charles Durrett For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.cohousingco.com]⁠ , quimpervillage.com [quimpervillage.com] or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/cohousing/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/cohousingco_01/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohousingco] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@charlesdurrett9954] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠ [https://x.com/CohousingCo_01] Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This is Cohousing | Ep 7 | Different, Not Less: Neuro-Inclusive Living with Desiree Kameka Galloway

What happens to adults with autism when their parents can no longer care for them? It's one of the most urgent and overlooked housing crises of our time — and intentional community may be one of the most powerful answers. In this episode, host Charles Durrett sits down with Desiree Kameka Galloway, Director of the Autism Housing Network and lead consultant for neuro-inclusive housing solutions. Having visited over 120 residential opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across 12+ U.S. metropolitan areas, Desiree brings rare, research-backed insight into what's missing — and what's possible. Together, Charles and Desiree explore: Why over 1 million adults with autism currently live with a caregiver over the age of 60 — and what happens nextHow cohousing provides the natural support systems that reduce isolation, prevent abuse, and lower Medicaid costs. The critical difference between neuro-inclusive community and institutionalization — and why policymakers still confuse the twoWhat families and self-advocates should do right now to plan proactively (legal, financial, and community-building steps)Practical tools like communication badges, neuro-affirming design principles, and how existing cohousing communities can welcome neurodivergent neighborsThe inspiring example of Solheimar, Iceland — where 45 neurodiverse and 45 neurotypical residents thrive together well into old ageWhy Canada may be where the first North American Solheimar-style community takes rootAs Desiree puts it: "When people find the right housing and support system, they thrive. Don't let fear paralyze you."Whether you're a parent, self-advocate, housing developer, or simply someone who knows someone with autism — this conversation will change how you think about community, belonging, and what inclusive living can look like.Resources mentioned:🌐 Autism Housing Network — autismhousingnetwork.org📖 Neuro-Inclusive Community Design by Charles Durrett📖 A Place in the World — free at the Autism Housing Network🌐 The Cohousing Company — cohousingco.com🌐 National Cohousing Alliance — cohousingalliance.org For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.cohousingco.com]⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/cohousing/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/cohousingco_01/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohousingco] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@charlesdurrett9954] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠ [https://x.com/CohousingCo_01] Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This is Cohousing | Ep 6 | How Common Meals Nourish Cohousing with Vesanto Melina

What if the secret to a thriving neighborhood was as simple as sharing a meal? In this episode, Charles sits down with Vesanto Melina — registered dietitian, author of over 15 books, and resident of Vancouver Cohousing — to explore how common meals bring cohousing communities to life.From signup spreadsheets and cooking trios to rooftop gardens and $5 dinners, Vesanto and Charles dig into the practical and the profound: how shared cooking builds trust, how plant-based eating can work at scale, and why showing up to dinner on time might matter more than you think.Vesanto also shares her expertise on nourishing community meals — covering protein, vitamin D, accommodating dietary needs, and why moving toward plant-based eating is good for both people and the planet.Whether you live in cohousing or are simply curious about a more connected way of life, this conversation will leave you hungry for community — and maybe dinner.Resources mentioned:Vesanto's website: nutrispeak.comPlant-Powered Protein: plantpoweredprotein.com Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠ [www.cohousingco.com]⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/cohousing/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/cohousingco_01/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohousingco] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@charlesdurrett9954] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠X [https://x.com/CohousingCo_01]

This is Cohousing | Ep 5 | Aging with Pride: Redefining Home for LGBTQ+ Elders with Margaret Roesch

In this episode, Charles Durrett sits down with Margaret Roesch, co-founder of Village Hearth Cohousing in Durham, North Carolina—the first LGBTQ+ cohousing community in the United States.What began as a response to the fear of isolation in later life became a bold, community-driven journey in living differently. Margaret shares how she and her partner Pat McAulay helped bring Village Hearth to life from the ground up—without prior development experience—and why they chose to create a 55+ community where queer elders could live openly, safely, and in connection with others.Together, they explore how intentional design shapes human relationships, from front doors placed just 30 feet apart to shared spaces that foster daily interaction. The conversation dives into the realities of building community—from navigating uncertainty and collective decision-making to moving in during COVID and weathering unexpected challenges along the way. More than just a housing model, Village Hearth reveals what’s possible when people prioritize connection over isolation. Margaret reflects on how cohousing has changed her life—supporting independence, encouraging personal growth, and creating a culture of mutual care, from shared meals to systems of helping hands.This episode is about more than cohousing. It’s about aging with intention, designing for belonging, and rethinking what it means to live well—together. Learn more about Village Hearth by visiting https://www.villagehearthcohousing.com/ [http://www.campuscommunities.ca/] For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠ [www.cohousingco.com]⁠ or ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo] * ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/cohousing/] * ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/cohousingco_01/] * ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohousingco] * ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@charlesdurrett9954] * ⁠⁠⁠X [https://x.com/CohousingCo_01]

This is Cohousing | Ep 4 | From Asphalt to Village: Reimagining the Modern Campus with Gary Morrison

In this episode, we explore a bold rethinking of the modern campus—moving from isolated, car-dominated environments to vibrant, community-centered villages. What if campuses weren’t just places people pass through, but places they truly belong? What if housing, social life, and daily needs were woven together into a walkable, intergenerational fabric? Drawing from real projects and decades of experience in cohousing and community design, this conversation dives into how underutilized land—like parking lots and peripheral campus edges—can be transformed into thriving neighborhoods. We discuss the power of design to foster connection, the role of shared spaces in everyday life, and why the future of housing may look a lot more like a village than a development. Whether you're an architect, planner, developer, or simply interested in the future of community living, this episode offers a compelling vision for how we can build places that bring people together. Learn more about Campus Communities and their UFV project by visiting www.campuscommunities.ca [http://www.campuscommunities.ca/] For more info visit ⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠ [www.cohousingco.com]⁠ or ⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠ [https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo] * ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/cohousing/] * ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/cohousingco_01/] * ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohousingco] * ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@charlesdurrett9954] * ⁠⁠X [https://x.com/CohousingCo_01]