Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: sweat equity

[Judy (BAXTER%EPIHUB]

fassnach [at] ssc.wisc.edu  <cohousing-l [at] uci.com> wrote:

>But how to measure sweat
>equity?  If we just count hours, then inefficient work can be
>"rewarded" just for inefficiency.  But maybe this is something we
>shouldn't really be worrying about.

I guess I think the key thing to keep in mind is KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Our system at
Monterey CoHousing involves keeping track of work for the community (chits) but
keeping track is pretty loose.  Basically we expect all households to
contribute, and if one member doesn't , it seems the other does (in couples). 
Some people (like Monika Stumpf) put in lots of work and refuse to keep track,
just saying it's more than required.  Some of us keep track carefully, and for
me, it helps me to say No at least some of the time.  Some have never reported
chits on time, or not in months and months, and we seem to be too busy to worry
about that.  And, as Monika said in a recent post, there is an ebb and flow. 
People get overloaded and pull back.  I think that if you use time in the group
AND expect participation, then it may not be necessary to be very accurate. 
It's a trust thing too - trusting that people contribute in different ways.  

Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community, (MoCoCo)
Twin Cities Area, Minneapolis/St.Paul Minnesota
e-mail: baxter [at] epivax.epi.umn.edu