photo by Don Tucker, Cambridge Cohousing

Modern culture and technology have taught us how to be self sufficient to the point that many people today are living in distinct isolation and dying virtually alone. But today, more than ever, people are also finding out that when you live alone, you miss out on all the benefits of living a life rich in community and active love.  Dostoevsky said it best: "Strive to love your neighbor actively….In as far as you advance in love you will grow surer of the reality of God and of the immortality of your soul.”

Want to become less selfish? Less prideful? Less defensive? More polite? More generous? More thoughtful? More loving? Possessing a higher emotional I.Q.? Living in community is a laboratory where all these things can happen.   

So what kind of people live in community? It's people just like you. For example, in Austin today electrical engineers, copyeditors, software programmers, emergency medical technicians, real estate agents, musicians, teachers, and architects all call some kind of community living environment "home." These normal, everyday people have deliberately chosen to live in community, not just to cut back on rent and utilities, but to also to learn and grow as people by sharing space and learning how to love other people.

Here are some common examples of community living:
- Co-operatives
- Co-housing
- Intentional households (Religious, or other).