Home

We intend to build a cohousing community within the city of Chicago. We are currently looking for a site of at least 1/2 acre (about eight city lots) that is easily accessible to the Loop and within walking distance of public transportation. We anticipate a community of about 25 households which will share green space and a common house, with parking located at the edge of the site.

The community will have a variety of housing to accommodate individuals, couples and families. Each household will own a residence as well as a share of the common area. All will be involved in designing their own space as well as helping to design the community as a whole.

The common house will include a kitchen and dining area for optional shared meals, laundry facilities, workshop space and other community resources in addition to space for casual socializing.

The community will be:
Affordable: The design will provide quality at reasonable prices; affordable choices will encourage economic diversity.
Green: All site development will use the most progressive green technology possible within practical and financial constraints.
Accessible: The environment will be designed to accommodate people living with disabilities and to allow older residents to stay in the community
as they age.
Connected: Our cohousing community will be connected to the neighborhood, encouraging interactions between our residents and the larger community.

Who we are
Prairie Onion Cohousing was started in January of 2004 by a group of committed individuals interested in exploring the idea of creating a cohousing community in Chicago. Just like you, we had many reasons for coming together. Although we started from different places, we soon realized that we were looking for many of the same things in our community.