Thank you for your interest in Compass Cohousing!

We’re a community of people of all ages and backgrounds focused on living better – where neighbours know and care for one another, where kids can grow up more confident with a whole “village” of people to support them, and where those of us getting on in years have the support to keep on living rich and independent lives.

It’s a place where parents can get a break from child care and where empty nesters can reconnect with the younger generation and stay young-at-heart.

It’s an opportunity to live a lower cost life. We share the day-to-day expenses – from hot water to Internet. That means lower bills per household.

And, we all share the chores of keeping our properties beautiful, freeing up lots of time to have more fun.

In essence, it’s a chance to live an easier, more fulfilling life.

Perhaps that sounds a little over the top, but that’s been the experience of thousands of people across Europe, the US and right here in Canada. As you look into this further, you’ll see that this is true.

But it’s also more than that. A cohousing community is an intentional community, started, designed and managed by the people who will be living there — everyone has a say in how the community is managed. What we’ve said above is what we’ve decided we want our community to be.

Originating in Denmark in the 1960s before spreading to the rest of Europe and then North America, cohousing frequently takes the form of apartments or townhouses, which are much like any other apartments or townhouses. Individual units are strata, and as such you own your own unit and enjoy any increase in value that it may have in the future. Cohousing units are not subsidized: when a group of people build a cohousing community, units are sold, at cost, to the people who will be living there. No profit is made by the cohousing community.

One of the big things that sets cohousing apart is the common house. This is a shared amenities building that has things like a big dining/activities room, a large kitchen, lounges, children’s play room, laundry room, reading areas, guest room, workshop, exercise room, craft areas and a music room. These amenities are shared by everyone in the community.

We have been busy over the past year or so – finding a prime location here in Langley, BC, arranging the purchase of the property, and assembling a terrific team of a builder, an architect, and various other experts.

If you join a cohousing community early enough in the process, you get the opportunity to help design where you will live. It’s a fun experience!