A cohousing consultant and workshop | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Jerry Callen (jcallenThink.COM) | |
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 93 14:54 CST |
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 93 13:32 CST From: Elise Matthesen <EMATTHESEN [at] MADMAX.MPR.ORG> Perhaps I'm mistaken, but at least in the Scandianvian communities where the idea began, affordability *is* important. The FIRST Danish communities were build by affluent people. Until the entire building industry in this country accepts cohousing as something that's actually feasible, it's likely to stay relatively expensive. Certainly the banks look at it as "unconventional," which means (to them) "risky," and that alone will drive up the financing costs. Further, why should cohousing be any less expensive to build than conventional housing? You have to do all the usual things - buy land, pay for professional services from architects, engineers, lawyers, etc. - AND you want to build extensive common facilities, AND you want a lot of client participation in the design process. I don't mean to dump a buncha negatives in here. I admit I'm a bit sad about some learning experiences (heh) around individual and group readiness to choose and decide and make things happen, and my partner and I and our housemate are currently investigating other possibilities. I welcome a hard-nosed practical approach; perhaps that comes from being raised in a blue-collar environment. The "hard-nosed practical approach" is to recognize that there's no magic about cohousing with respect to cost. I look at it this way: if a household can't afford to buy a conventional house, then it can't afford cohousing. Why SHOULDN'T this be true? End rant, and I hope I haven't grossly insulted anybody. I know that we've all got different priorities. It's just that this darned stubborn Danish-American believes that there's something in Scandinavian cohousing that we would do well to take a hard look at; I fear it makes us look, rather deservedly, at the weird ways Americans act around class and money issues, and wince. No offense, just a vigorous response. :-) Scandanavian cohousing has been around for 20 years now, and has (in some cases) government backing. Being fundamentally an optimist, I'd ask you to look at the state of U.S. cohousing in another 15 years before you throw rocks at it. -- Jerry Callen
- Re: A cohousing consultant and workshop, (continued)
- Re: A cohousing consultant and workshop david sucher, November 12 1993
- Re: A cohousing consultant and workshop rehm, November 12 1993
- Re: A cohousing consultant and workshop Jim Ratliff, November 12 1993
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Re: A cohousing consultant and workshop Elise Matthesen, November 12 1993
- A cohousing consultant and workshop Jerry Callen, November 12 1993
- Why not? Trey Wedge, November 12 1993
- Re: Why not? Nancy Wight, November 12 1993
- Why not? Jerry Callen, November 12 1993
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