To the editor:

At least one of your readers (Public Forum, May 2) missed the point of your informative recent article about co-housing. I’ve had the good fortune to live in two co-housing communities, and in my experience they share little in common with condo or apartment projects.

Co-housing residents make a thoughtful commitment to join a community, sharing some facilities and decision-making, while maintaining their family’s independent living unit and lifestyle. In addition to providing a supportive, pleasant and environmentally oriented place to live, my co-housing experience has taught me much about life. The simple process of sharing some of the tasks and pleasures of daily living, whether constructing a children’s playground, cleaning out a storeroom, arranging flowers for the common house or shopping and preparing a meal for one’s neighbors made me much more appreciative of not only my co-housing community but the larger community around me.

As for the price of co-housing, this is difficult to judge as there really is nothing directly comparable. However, the groups that I’m aware of in the western states have waiting lists for purchase of available units, which rarely come up for sale.

Terry L. Smith,

Lawrence