Co-Housing Fort Collins Style

George J. Perkins
July 09, 2002
Our host tonight is the Grey Rock Commons co-housing community in Fort Collins. Once again I am completely bowled over by the generosity and welcome we have received. Six households have invited us into their homes. A few riders are sleeping in the Commons building, with a net result of 14 in the 6 homes. Everyone has a shower and laundry, and a real bed. My host family generously had me sleep on a futon in their guest bedroom. I even plugged my laptop into the Grey Rock network (they have their own business-rate DSL Internet connection.) The community prepared a dinner for us in the Commons. Grey Rock will also feed us breakfast in the morning. After dinner we learned about this co-housing community (and rider Tanya acted as our spokesperson to tell the Grey Rock community a little about us.) Grey Rock Commons began six years ago as a new development on the edge of Fort Collins. The townhouses all face into a common area that contains greenspace and a playground. Energy efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability (e.g., recycled hardwood floors, reduced land requirements), and high quality construction were important to the first residents of the community. The community has developed 5 of their 16 acres, using the rest as garden space and natural prairie. The ownership is organized a little bit like a condominium or cooperative. There is less privacy and more "community" in this arrangement. Consensus is used by the community to make decisions. Most of the community is young couples with children, but there are a few retired people and a couple singles. There isn't much diversity - the residents are white and middle class. There is one household which rents. Almost all are interested in simplicity, the environment, etc. Despite a rather long commute, many bicycle to work. In my conversations, the only regret seems to be that Grey Rock was not built closer to services and shopping. (It is next to "traditional" suburban homes and is not part of new urbanism development.) Co-housing interests me, but I wouldn't want to be out "in the suburbs" like Grey Rock.