Episode #13
This is Cohousing | Ep 13 | Bridging the Cultural Divide through Cohousing with Alan O'Hashi
Can cohousing do what so much of American life can't — bring genuinely different people together?In this episode, host Charles Durrett sits down with Alan O'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.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 — "the raisin in the Silver Sage oatmeal." 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.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's meaning became undeniable — when neighbors showed up at his door during a health crisis — and what living in community has taught him about elderhood.Whether you're forming a community, living in one, or wondering who cohousing is really for, this conversation offers honest, hard-won insight.If you're interested in living in a sustainable neighborhood where people know each other, care about each other, and support each other, you can find more in the links below — including books like Neuroinclusive Community Design, courses, events, and our newsletter. For more info visit www.cohousingco.com or https://linktr.ee/CohousingCo Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Youtube X Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
