Be the Change You Want to See in the World — through Cohousing

The American Dream has long promised independence, privacy, and self-sufficiency as the path to a good life. Yet for many, that dream—especially when pursued alone—often comes with loneliness, overwhelm, and quiet vulnerability, particularly in times of crisis. While the single-family home has become a powerful symbol of success, it has also reinforced a cultural model that prioritizes rugged individualism over shared support.

Cohousing offers a compelling alternative. While residents still enjoy the security and dignity of privately owned homes, daily life is intentionally designed around connection, mutual resilience, and interdependence. Rather than avoiding conflict or community as intrusion, cohousing embraces relationship-by-design—recognizing that caring for one another strengthens individuals and the whole.

Cohousing isn’t just a different way to live; it’s a different social blueprint—one that allows us to practice the world we want to see, together, every day.

Gathering Near and Far: How We Stay Connected

We all agree—nothing beats gathering in person. Sharing a meal, laughing across the table, swapping stories… that’s the good stuff. But since our Explorers and Members are scattered all across the country, we’ve learned that Zoom can also be a wonderful way to stay connected.

Once a month, we host our Explorer and Member “general meeting.” Think of it as our monthly business huddle—where we make decisions together, share updates, and ensure everyone’s in the loop. But it’s not all business. We make sure there’s room for smiles, connection, and a little fun along the way.

At our most recent meeting, we broke into smaller Zoom breakout groups and explored some quirky, delightful connections among us. We discovered that group members have:

• Lived in different countries at some point.

• A deep desire to be seen wherever they go.

• Broken a bone or two.

• Struggled valiantly to speak languages other than English.

• Come from families with only girl children.

This was just a glimpse of the lively common ground we uncovered. Every time we gather, we get to know each other better—and that’s the heart of building community.

We even kicked off this meeting with a poem that set the perfect tone for our conversations. We hope you’ll enjoy it, too…

4th Corner Commons has land! We are so excited to share this milestone and thrilled to be covered by the Cascadia Daily News.

The Joy of Downsizing!

Author: 4th Corner Commons Member, Susan Gee Rumsey

From Too Much Stuff to a New Way of Living – After a big move, health challenges, and the realization that their forever home wasn’t forever, one Bellingham couple discovered 4th Corner Commons—and found that downsizing can be joyful when it leads to connection, community, and a better life.