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In Episode 17 Kelli Soika introduces her new theme for 2024: The Year of the Neighbor. The first topic that Lynn Morstead and Kelli pick up on related to this theme is being "an authentic neighbor". Lynn shares a story of a situation that arose between the two of them, which might have normally lead to broken relations or at least temporarily cooled contact. In this case, Lynn decided to try a new way that is the way they are aspiring to live together in cohousing. 
 
Tune in to hear what happened and how it worked out for them both. It's fresh and hot off the press!

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 16 It's the end of the year! Wrapping up 2023 and looking forward to 2024. Thanks for following along.

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 15 Lynn Morstead and Kelli Soika talk about the tough questions they encounter regarding cohousing.  Building a relationship with potential new neighbors is a wonderful opportunity to ask and answer the harder questions people have about living in cohousing. "What if I don't like everyone?,"  "What about the price per square foot?," and other questions. 

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 14 Kelli Soika and Lynn Morstead interview two CoHousing Houston members, about their experience with shared, meaningful work within cohousing and in other settings. They talk about how shared work helps with getting to know people, extend the ability to get things done, and saves money.  They tackle some of the difficulties communities face in getting people to participate and the factors that come into play in a cohousing setting.

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 13 Kelli Soika interviews CoHousing Houston member, Phil Berrie. Phil is the person tasked with figuring out what platform the community would like to use after move-in. They discuss the criteria for choosing a platform and some of the options available specifically for cohousing groups.

They discuss Gather and Mosaic, two popular platforms designed for cohousing groups.

Gather: Gather is The App for Community.
Gather’s mission is to make community easier so members can focus on having fun and building relationships. Created in 2015, Gather has been host to over 500 members, $100,000 worth of shared meals, 8,000 resource reservations, and much more. 

Mosaic. websites for communities.
Modular. Integrated. Custom. Features designed to work together and with your procedures and policies.


Note: CoHousing Houston does not endorse either product and was not compensated to discuss them on this podcast. 

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 12 Kelli Soika and Lynn Morstead pick back up on their earlier conversation with Danny Milman, Development Manager at Urban Development Partners. They talk about the 7 things developers think about cohousers. Lynn and Kelli compiled lists of what they think developers think about. Danny brings the truth. 

After the podcast, Danny shared with us her list of what a cohousing group brings to the development from a developer’s point of view.

In sequential order as it comes into play in the project:

1. Early money – land, due diligence, design
2. Focus group for the design (smaller units, ganged parking, extensive common facilities)
3. Group support at entitlements (vs. just a developer or architect)
4. Marketing & Sales 
5. Focus group for the bank / Presales
6. Equity funding for construction 
7. The intangible – doing good by building community

 And here is how the different development models take advantage of the benefit of having a cohousing group in the mix: 

• UDP’s model takes advantage of all 7.
• Cohousing Partners (Jim Leach & Katie McCamant) put up some of the funds for #1, but then brought the group in.
• The Belgium developers at the cohousing conference skip the first 4 and then bring in buyers (and their money) just before construction.
• The British developers are bringing in funds for the #1, but still deciding on the remainder.

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 11 Kelli Soika and Lynn Morstead come together immediately after listening to the CoHoUS talk by Katie McCamant on "Demystifying Common Meals" to share their reactions. They were enthusiastic and ready to start cooking common meals right away. Listen in to learn about their key take-aways. 

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 10 Kelli Soika and Lynn Morstead welcome Vanda Crossley, the founder of “This Is Us” Community in Fort Bend County, an area outside of Houston, Texas.  Envisioned as an "agrihood," the community is coming together to have private homes and a shared commitment to growing food and looking out for one another.

For more information, check out www.thisisustx.com. 

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 9 Kelli Soika and Lynn Morstead discuss their reactions to the saying "If you have more than you need build a bigger table – not a higher fence."  How they have experienced this in their lives and how cohousing is by definition an act of building a bigger table. 

Listen in to learn more.

They are recommending the talk on "Demystifying Common Meals" that Katie McCamant will be giving October 11 @5pm CT which they plan to come back to discuss later in October.  Join them in this listening building of our bigger table.

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected]. 

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In Episode 8 Kelli Soika and Lynn Morstead interview professor, community leader, and nonprofit founder Jackie Augustine of Blueprint Geneva. Based in the upstate town of Geneva, New York, Jackie has identified cohousing as a model for engagement and cohesiveness in affordable housing. The discussion touches on how the model of cohousing can address some of the issues that affordable housing faces.

Listen in to learn more.

For more information about Jackie's non-profit, Blueprint Geneva, click HERE. 

For more information about cohousing in Houston, please check out our website at www.cohousinghouston.com. Let us know if you have any comments or ideas by emailing us at [email protected].