We should not underestimate how much we have learned to deal with different opinions. Many of us have made U turns. While living in a 'me' centered society most of us learned how relative our own opinions are. I think these things have major effects on our identities. You learn to distinguish in a very short time what is important to you and what is not.

Cohousing resident

Life here is characterised by caring support, friendliness, too many meetings, challenging disagreements, exciting and stimulating ideas and opportunities. It's exhausting and demanding but really enjoyable too.

Cohousing resident

You get to have tea at your friend's house more. I walk to school with all the others too. Your mum doesn't have to worry about you so much.

Cohousing child

My goodness it was difficult. I spent 5 years of my life and hundreds of hours of meetings helping to get this place off the ground. I'll never forget the day we got gazumped. I never ever want to go through that again.

Cohousing resident

Sometimes I feel it is a challenge to balance my commitment to self, family, work and community but they are all an integral part of my life, and I consider myself very lucky to be part of this adventurous project.

You get to have more than one family. Its really special having the intimacy of sharing the pleasure of children growing up

Cohousing residents

I've got play readings, concerts and films on my doorstep. Above all I love the cabarets

The whole family have participated in activities organized by others - walks, cycle rides, camping trips and outings. I could never get them to get off the sofa before we lived here.

Cohousing resident

I remain unreconstructedly proud of the achievement of changing some knackered old hospital buildings into a what, aside from our e-mail wars, strikes me as a decent place to live - a settlement that makes quite a considerable contribution to rethinking the ways in which people interact with their environment.

Cohousing resident

As I get ready to leave …(the cohousing project)… I see Julian. He has wandered out of the open French windows of their home and is standing in the middle of the flower meadow. He is bathed in sunlight and his youngest son Gregory is tanking off across the field and into the long grass. Suddenly, I see Julian grow old in this place, pass from middle age to old age, but remaining among the people he knows and loves. Its' a good vision

Chris Dunkerley, extract from Eve magazine article on cohousing