This is Cohousing | Ep 13 | Bridging the Cultural Divide through Cohousing with Alan O'Hashi

<p>Can cohousing do what so much of American life can&#39;t — bring genuinely different people together?</p><p>In this episode, host Charles Durrett sits down with Alan O&#39;Hashi, a longtime resident of Silver Sage Cohousing in Boulder, Colorado — one of the first senior cohousing communities in the country — and author of Aging Gratefully in Good Company. Charles was the original schematic architect for Silver Sage, and the two reconnect for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about race, belonging, aging, and affordability in community. </p><p>Alan reflects on a lifetime of collaborative living, from a large extended family to co-op houses to senior cohousing, and on his experience as one of the few people of color in a predominantly white movement — &quot;the raisin in the Silver Sage oatmeal.&quot; Drawing on his Japanese American upbringing and his travels to intentional communities in South Africa, he challenges the idea that cohousing is a Western invention and asks what it would look like built by and for the other 98 percent. </p><p>Together, Charles and Alan dig into why cohousing skews white and affluent, how it might evolve from a social movement into a social norm, the real work of bridging cultural divides, and why affordability comes down to getting organized. Alan also shares the moment cohousing&#39;s meaning became undeniable — when neighbors showed up at his door during a health crisis — and what living in community has taught him about elder hood. Whether you&#39;re forming a community, living in one, or wondering who cohousing is really for, this conversation offers honest, hard-won insight. </p><p>Mentioned in this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Aging-Gratefully-Good-Company/Alan-Ohashi/9798989421305" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>Aging Gratefully in Good Company</em></a> by Alan O&#39;hashi</li><li><a href="https://a.co/d/08h4iMmO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>The Senior Cohousing Handbook</em></a><em> </em>by Charles Durrett</li><li><a href="https://www.cohousingco.com/products/p/sg1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Study Group One: Aging Successfully</a></li><li><em></em><a href="https://a.co/d/05bxFa3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>Neuro-Inclusive Community Design</em></a> by Charles Durrett</li><li><a href="https://cohousingalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">National Cohousing Alliance</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>For more info visit ⁠<a href="www.cohousingco.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cohousingco.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠ or <a href="https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cohousing/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/cohousingco_01/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohousingco" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@charlesdurrett9954" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://x.com/CohousingCo_01" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p></li></ul><p><em>Bossa Antigua</em> Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</p>