Community Living

Community Living: Living in the same house as family or friends...each in your own space but sharing common areas (unless you have a mansion).

Been wanting to share about this topic for while. Here is a little about what Tricia and I have learned and are seeing happening around us.

• Tricia and I have done community living about half of our marriage so far (A college dorm, her sister Melyssa and My sister and brother-in-law, Selah and Randy.)
• Selah and Randy currently live in the upstairs of our home. It is a great set-up.
• My parents and my brother and his family have recently moved into one home as well.
  
• We are fans of community living and have not regretted a minute of it yet! But, you have to know how to wisely start it and wisely maintain it or it can be a mess!
  
• The amount of people needing to enter into community living across America is rapidly increasing (I have read some crazy increased stats recently). It is much more common in many other countries. American individualism and materialism have driven us all to have our own everything. Now, American "poorness" is forcing many people to move in together (some are calling it "recession divorce"). It is even forcing divorced couples to live together in separate rooms in many cases.

In a later post, I will share:

1. Positive things that we have learned that make this work.
2. Some of the many benefits to community living.
3. Some ways to make it fail if not paid attention to.

--Noah