The affordable housing shortage in Port Townsend is best addressed when people work together, according to information scheduled for presentation at a two-day February seminar.

“You can save a lot of money when you learn to cooperate,” said workshop master of ceremonies Charles Durrett, an architect who lives in a cohousing community that he designed in Nevada City, California. “Where I live we share about 100 things, including lawnmowers, laundry facilities, and internet. These practices are more practical and economical.”

Aside from the cost savings, Durrett said cohousing has a human benefit, where people in such a community might connect in ways not always easily achieved in a standard neighborhood or apartment complex. The concept is based on shared resources. A central common house where people can interact and share meals is an essential component. Tools such as lawnmowers can be purchased collectively and shared.

“Decisions are made by consensus,” said Kate Nichols, a former cohousing resident who is helping organize the February workshop. “The ability to share things means that it is less expensive to live in a cohousing environment, and less expensive to build, since the houses can be variations of the same floor plan.”

With this in mind, the Port Townsend Getting-It-Built workshop is meant to educate people about the benefits of cohousing and stimulate the development of such communities in Port Townsend. Topics will provide tools for participants to develop one or more intergenerational communities.

Durrett, who has built 50 such facilities, hopes the workshop will result in 20 or 30 people getting together and brainstorming the creation of a new neighborhood.

Cohousing is one option for dealing with high home prices and low availability of affordable housing. This includes tiny home construction, Habitat For Humanity developments, and planned communities.

There are two existing cohousing locations in Port Townsend: Quimper Village, on which Durrett served as a consultant, and the RoseWind cohousing community. The Evans Vista Project will incorporate some cohousing elements, but it is being developed by contractors and sold as finished units.

Successful cohousing, Durrett said, includes future residents in the design and construction process.

Using government funding for construction, while welcome, isn’t required for a cohousing project to succeed. Durrett says local governments can be most helpful by expediting the permit process and cutting through bureaucracy. If there is an appropriate city-owned piece of land for cohousing, then the city could offer the land at a discount, or contribute it outright, he said.

According to Durrett, the ideal starting point is a four-acre plot.

The February workshop is not for window shoppers. Attendees need to commit to the idea and be prepared to start a cohousing project. It will cover several topics, including group membership, development, site selection, participatory design, working through city approvals, financial and ownership options, and more.

Designing a high-functioning community includes determining traffic patterns and parking locations, which may be several hundred feet from the houses. During the planning process, future residents can vote to create a less automobile-centric environment that would allow kids to run around without worrying about cars whizzing by.  

“We can create a high-functioning neighborhood,” Durrett said. “There will be no lonely seniors and no forlorn moms.”

He estimated a $10 million total cost for the project, a figure that becomes less intimidating when amortization of expenses and the value of cooperation is figured in. As future residents will have input at the development stage, they can choose a luxurious floor plan or a bare-bones setup.

Durrett said that Port Townsend is “site rich,” with several places where a cohousing development could be located. While such numbers are ever-changing, Durrett estimated that an average house in a local cohousing development could cost the homeowner about $300,000.

Durrett thinks Port Townsend is ideal for one or more new cohousing communities. Success will depend on creative solutions to challenges and, he said, “the people in Port Townsend are as creative as it gets.”

He recommends attendees read his book, “Cohousing Communities: Designing for High-Functioning Neighborhoods,” before considering the workshop. Doing so will guarantee that “everyone is on the same page,” Durrett said.

The workshop costs $325 per person and is limited to 30 attendees. It will take place Feb. 10 and 11 at the Co-op Annex, 2110 Lawrence St. in Port Townsend. Reservations are required, although Durkett said he will attempt to accommodate anyone who shows up at the last minute. To register, contact Nichols at katennichols@gmail.com or 360-223-3252. General information is available at www.cohousingco.com.