More room for cohousing in the United States: Understanding diffusion potential by exploring who knows about, who likes, and who would consider living in cohousing

ABSTRACT

Early adopters of cohousing have been relatively homogenous in many regards. For example, most are white, politically liberal, Democrat, and have a post-graduate education; females are also overrepresented compared to the general population. Little is known about the degree to which this lack of diversity is due to lack of broader appeal, lack of awareness or access, or other factors. The present study sought to further understanding of this issue. Through a diffusion of innovations lens, we explored a wide range of potential demographic, socioeconomic, and attitudinal predictors of knowledge of and interest in cohousing among the general US population, via an online survey of 157 individuals. Regression analysis revealed that being older, not heterosexual, more educated, and voting in the 2012 presidential election predicted greater knowledge of cohousing, and being liberal and a working woman predicted interest in cohousing. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for understanding the profile of cohousing early adopters and potential for the movement to expand to broader segments of the US population.

KEYWORDS:

• Cohousing
• collaborative housing
• diffusion
• adoption
• marketing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angela Sanguinetti

Dr. Angela Sanguinetti is a Research Environmental Psychologist at UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies and Energy & Efficiency Institute, where she directs the Consumer Energy Interfaces Lab. Dr. Sanguinetti is also Director of the Cohousing Research Network, where she seeks to strengthen the rigor and impact of research on collaborative neighborhoods.

K. Hibbert

Dr. Kathleen Hibbert is a Social Epidemiologist who studies social, behavioral, and chemical influences on individual and community health. Dr. Hibbert is an invited fellow with the Empowering Sustainability Initiative at University of California, Irvine, where she is currently seeking to understand generation-specific perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to environmental sustainability.