By John Bull

Could co housing solve the housing needs of future cryonicists?

Imagine a neighborhood where families take care of each other, share resources and come together nightly for a communal meal.

Co housing; a village like arrangement of homes, originated in Denmark and was initiated in the U.S. in the1990s. Currently, there are about 200 co housing projects underway in 37 states. The Orlando (FL) Sentinal recently focused on one of these communities. Great Oak is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, about 40 miles from CIHQ. From the Great Oaks web site: http://www.gocoho.org/ "Great Oak, is the second co housing community in Ann Arbor. Completed, in 2003. Great Oak consists of a total of 37 households, ranging from young families to retired couples. About half of them have kids living at home." Co housing is a form of collaborative housing that offers residents an old-fashioned sense of neighborhood. Instead of facing a street, houses usually face a "common area."

In co housing, residents know their neighbors very well, and there is a strong sense of community that is absent in contemporary housing. This is important for cryonicists. As Dave Pizer points out on page 14 of this issue. "Avoid the number two threat to a good suspension - dying alone and no one finding you for a while."

It's a friendly, cooperative way to live, but with a lot of independence. In most communities, people eat one or two meals in the common area. Residents will own their own lot, as well as a share of the common house. A common house will include a kitchen, dining hall, guest hall and computer room. Co housing typica1ly attracts people who share the same ideals and like the idea of a shared community. Many people feel isolated in a typical community, but find co housing a lot safer because people know- and take care of- each other.

While the ownership requirement would preclude most cryonicists from considering co housing at this time, it’s very likely that as cryopreservation activity increases at CI, the need for some kind of temporary housing will increase also. All it would take then is for an entrepreneur to look at the numbers and decide at what point to jump in and build a co housing community. Two housing units could be the start of a community.