Re: affordable housing
From: David B. Neeley (dneeleyccsi.com)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 15:11:25 -0500
I've been following the discussion of affordable housing and Cohousing (in
general and as related to the mobility-impaired) for some time.
Congratulations on dealing with a problem that is larger than the general
Coho vs. traditional housing options,and which is frequently ignored by the
vast majority in this country.

The majority of those considering these problems seem to either feel that
the relatively small numbers of residents of a Coho community should
contribute to subsidize others to join their community. Others believe that
the additional financial burdens would be difficult for such small numbers
to bear, and that the limited number of people that could be helped by such
strategies would be so small as to be of little aid to the overall problem.

May I suggest several strategies that could be of help? First, why not
establish a credit union for cohousing? This would be made up of folks with
an interest in the subject and who are actively working toward or who are
already living in cohousing. It would therefore be uniquely situated to
evaluate both individuals and projects for funding and would reward
depositors with interest on their deposits and lower-cost loans on building
projects. This seems a win-win proposition.

Second, the vast majority of housing in this country is too expensive, and
long-term mortgages make many slaves to the interest payments for thirty
years. One way out is to use alternative construction methods being
developed for use throughout the country (and elsewhere). There is a very
active mailing list, for example, for straw bale construction...quick and
inexpensive to build, durable, cheaper to live in, etc. Other techniques
could include a variation of Earthships (rammed earth in surplus tires). In
addition to dramatically reduced building and living costs, these techniques
could include labor credits for those who assist other residents in
construction...further enabling those who have reduced means to afford their
own residences in a project.

The point is that it is not necessary to rely on traditional and expensive
construction and financing methods to build a nontraditional cohousing
project. There should be ample opportunity to experiment in these areas, as
well. 

If you can't play the game by the rules, it helps to change the game.

I hope this has been helpful.

(By the way, I, too, am in a situation where current Cohousing is
financially unobtainable. Therefore, I am starting to explore the
possibilities of just such a project as I am speaking of here in the Austin
area. Should anyone have any suggestions, feel free to email me. I'd be
grateful for any input you might have).

David Neeley

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