Re: urban cohousing | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Sanda Everette (severetteed.co.sanmateo.ca.us) | |
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 12:56:44 -0500 |
> > > Matt Lawrence listed urban cohousing: > > > > >Doyle Street - Emeryville, CA > > >Southside Park - Saacramento, CA > > >N Street CoHousing - Davis, CA > > >Marsh Commens - Arcata, CA > > >Monterey CoHousing - Minneapolis, MN > > Don't forget us! Cambridge Cohousing, in Cambridge, MA. We have 41 units > > on 1 1/2 acres, which seems incredibly dense in comparison to other > > projects, though our site was zoned for 53 units when we bought it. > We have made several postings but don't seem to be included in lists of urban cohousing. As a retrofit project, I suppose what we are doing does not quite fit the cohousing model. Another difference, is that one family took the risk to buy the property without having more of a group together first. After a slow start, I am pleased to report we are making progress. By the end of the month, we will have community oriented folks in three of the four units. It is also exciting to report that it is a very ethnically and financially diverse group of many ages. I know achieving ethnic diversity has been an issue for many cohousing groups. I think the opportunity to start as renters makes it easier as well as the reflection of the diverse population already living in the SD Bay area. We closed escrow on a 4 plex building in February (next door to the 4 plex in which we are renting...waiting for a lease and for thw owner to be ready to sell, he has promised first right of refusal) and got our first community oriented renters shortly thereafter. Two of the other families in the building gave notice in the next two months as they were not interested in the community concept and decided to move on. We had two empty units by the first week of April and began advertising for community oriented folks, mostly on the internet. In case you don't know, this is a very tight real estate market with rentals going quickly and high rental prices (not quite matching the high ownership costs--this is one market where it is often cheaper to rent then to own.) We turned down many people who were not interested in community...financially scarey but kept our eye on our dreams and goals. It was surprising that we were able to connect with a variety of folks that were interested in community...and gardening (one of our focuses) with mainstream advertising. We thought we had one community oriented family committed for a 2BR unit but a few days before she was to move in with her daughter, she realized she was not ready to move away from her current situation. The person who was our roommate, after much going back and forth, decided to rent the apartment a few days ago and will most likely decide to buy in as a partner. He spent a lot of time working out the numbers and possible costs to create a partnership to own this building and working out spots for common spaces. Or first renters may also be interested in "buying in." Last weekend we finally found wonderful renters for one of our 3BR units from a regular newspaper classified ad. There is only one unit left, currently rented by folks not interested in what we are doing, waiting for a future "owner." Oh ..... and we have gardens started and I bought chicks yesterday. Sanda and Brian Everette San Mateo Cooperative Community (Urban retrofit cohousing) http://www.wordrunner.com/sanda Toward a sustainable lifestyle: grow some of your own food and/or know the gardener who is growing it.
- Re: Urban Cohousing, (continued)
- Re: Urban Cohousing Diane Simpson, May 23 1997
- urban cohousing cynthia . e . carpenter, May 18 1998
- Re: urban cohousing Denise Meier and/or Michael Jacob, May 18 1998
- urban cohousing Design Coalition Inc., May 18 1998
- Re: urban cohousing Sanda Everette, May 20 1998
- urban cohousing Shirley DiMatteo and Mel Shelly, July 3 2003
- urban cohousing Grace Kim, December 27 2006
Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.