Cohousing of Greater Baltimore has announced it has land under contract for the future home of their senior cohousing community.
The 1.1-acre site is in a residential neighborhood near Hampden in Baltimore City, zoned R-6 (allowing for semi-detached and attached townhomes and multi-family housing) with a walkability score of 87/100.
Cohousing communities consist of private homes and common facilities designed to support an independent and interdependent community life. Intentionally collaborative, future residents are involved in the community’s design and development to reflect their priorities. In this case, as a senior cohousing community, focus will be on aging in place and full accessibility.
These communities are self-run and self-managed. Residents are responsible for planning social activities and taking care of the indoor and outdoor common spaces.
The community in Hampden will consist of individually owned market-rate condos, each with a complete kitchen, and indoor and outdoor living areas. There will be a central space called the Common House, which will likely include a large dining room, kitchen, lounge, workshop, and guest rooms.
The building will have parking at ground level with three to four levels of residences above, totaling around 32 to 40 units. The elevator building will be created with a focus on energy efficiency, and the common area will be designed with member input and preferences.
The site is in a walkable neighborhood close to a wide variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, and more. Hampden continues to be one of the hottest neighborhoods for homebuyers, according to Live Baltimore’s 2024 State of the City report on the housing market.
Cohousing of Greater Baltimore was founded in 2018, and this contract marks progress towards the development of the first cohousing community in Baltimore, and the first senior cohousing community in Maryland. Approximately two hundred cohousing communities are already established in the United States, with two in the state of Maryland, one in Washington, D.C., and one in West Virginia.
“Cohousing of Greater Baltimore holds virtual information sessions and is actively seeking new members,” reads the press release announcing the real estate contract. “Joining now allows members to collaborate in the design and development process, form relationships with future neighbors and secure seniority when the project begins unit selections.”
To learn more about the Cohousing of Greater Baltimore’s Project, contact baltocoho@gmail.com or visit this link.
Let’s see: why aren’t more of these communities developed? It only took a core activist team of Burning Souls 7 years to develop a mission statement, recruit a critical mass and sustainable budget and startup funding., find and control an affordable site, and move forward into preliminary planning and design. Magnificent commitment! More power to their founders and their purpose!!