cohousing vs. HOAs: size limits on governance & management
From: james f. palmer (zooeymailbox.syr.edu)
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 09:26:11 -0700 (PDT)
A couple replies to Tree Bressen's comments.



 >Are you suggesting that cohousing residents manage their own property? As
volunteers? How big a community can an amateur property manager manage?
(Not suggesting that property management is brain surgery!)

There are intentional communities of hundreds of members that manage their
properties themselves.  Mostly groups with some shared religious basis, but
that doesn't keep them from having to deal with maintenance, upkeep,
replacement reserves, etc.

However, if the community is providing a livelihood for a member to do maintenance, that is similar to hiring a manager than it is to everyone volunteering. As the number of households grows (past 36?), it becomes more difficult for a volunteer to keep on top of things or to organize others to do it.

 >Here's what gets me. Suppose X, who has lived in a coho for N years
decides to sell his house to me. I haven't participated in the design.
Will I experience the coho differently from the original owners?

Now this is a fascinating question, one that i've wondered about as
well.  Perhaps it's too early in the history of the movement for us to
know--i think the real test will come not when a few units have turned over
since the original owners moved in, but when the entire community has
turned over and no one is left who was part of the development/building
stage.  Few intentional communities are able to maintain themselves past
one generation, and most communities get "watered down" over the years,
becoming more assimilated and less radical.  However, i'd be interested to
hear cohousing residents speculate on this.  Particularly with an eye
toward what present-day inhabitants can do to ensure that the community
stays vibrant and involved over the long haul.  Anyone care to comment?

It seems to me that the trick is how to incorporate new members. If we think of the "event" as creating the buildings, then we are lost because it is largely over when we move in. But if we think of the "event" as being a community, then planning the buildings is just a warming up and the main show starts when we move in. I think coho will work just fine if we have good systems in place to bring new people into the community and give them meaningful roles to play. I am not sure that a shift in values/character in response to current community members is a bad sign--perhaps it means things are working.

Jim Palmer, Burlington Cohousing

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