Families & Homes

Place, community, and the people we love.

Grief’s Hidden Gift

by Wendy Call

posted Oct 31, 2008

What I learned about happiness during my mom's last days with cancer.

In Review :: The Urban Homestead and Northwest Green Home Primer

by Pamela O'Malley Chang

posted Jul 30, 2008

A good-natured guide for urbanites who want to live off the land without leaving the city limits.

Compost Toilets and Self-Rule

by Madhu Suri Prakash

posted Nov 07, 2007

The ecological toilet is one of today's most hope-filled expressions of people's power. How composting toilets help us take back our power and autonomy.

It Took a Village

by Heather Mueller

posted Nov 07, 2007

In Miami, homeless citizens didn’t wait for the city. They created their own home and found dignity and safety.

Cohousing Comes of Age

by Neshama Abraham Paiss

posted Feb 19, 2006

Trends from the growing cohousing movement: commitment to environmental stewardship, continued social/political action, and growth of elder cohousing.

Finding Safe Harbor

by Debra McKinney

posted Nov 09, 2005

Safe Harbor is a nonprofit hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, a kind of sanctuary where people coming out of shelters or off the streets can stay while they work some things out.

Where Will I Live When I Get Older?

by Carolyn McConnell

posted Aug 15, 2005

Green House Project replaces nursing homes.

Of, By and For Seniors: Japanese Seniors Co-operatives

by Robert Marshall

posted Aug 15, 2005

Japanese families are getting smaller while the ranks of the aged are growing. A co-operative has stepped into this vacuum, connecting thousands of elders who have something to give and something to receive.

Parenting: The Sequel

by Steve and Rita Old Coyote, Dee Axelrod

posted Aug 15, 2005

These grandparents bring savvy and compassion to the task of raising another generation

Eco-clean Homes

by Pam Chang

posted Mar 31, 2003

What if house cleaning weren’t a thankless, low-paid, toxic job? Mayda Iglesias co-founded a cooperative that does eco-friendly cleaning. Business is great, her clients are happy, her health has improved, and her leadership is widely recognized.

The Sound And the Furious

by Corinne Asturias

posted Jun 30, 2001

The Sound and the Furious, by Corinne Asturias. How silence is good for commons and noise pollution invades every refuge.

Twenty Acres And a Hen

by Rachel Bagby

posted Jun 30, 2000

Rachel Bagby rediscovers her roots (in the soil) and learns about the creatures she shares it with