Re: Affordability?
From: Stuart Joseph (stuartcaercoburn.org)
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:25:21 -0700 (PDT)
April,
I can get your question about affordability and something we are concerned with too

Here are my thoughts on the matter:
1. Location. If the group buys property in an expensive area, those prices are going to be reflected in the land cost. Our village, Caer Coburn, is located in rural Vermont, so our land prices ($55,000.00 & $75,000.00 depending upon when you become a member). They are a lot less than the folks in MA or other parts of VT.

2. House costs are also determined by location and how the co-housing is built. Some of the groups around here are in expensive areas (for VT) and/or they overbuilt the houses, which drives up the cost.

We are taking a different tack in that we are letting the folks design and build their own houses. This will allow them to control the costs, but they will be subject to design criteria and size limitations.

A number of us are considering First Day Cottages which are house kits designed to be built by inexperienced builders. They are inexpensive (meant for middle class folks like teachers and nurses) and energy efficient. Here is their web site: http://www.firstdaycottage.com

3. There are also development costs, like engineering, permit application fees,expert fees (we had to have wetland surveyors, hydrologists, and backhoe expenses for digging test pits). These will be paid by the seller before you buy or by you after you buy, depending upon your local regulations.

4. Costs for the land: the land prices will also be determined by what the seller has to do to be able to sell you the land. Due to the zoning regulations where we are, the seller needs to put in roads, a bridge, electric, a septic design, and survey the overall property and each lot. He also has to do all the work for wastewater management and environmental, wetland, and archaeological regulations for the State of Vermont.

All of those things might not be necessary in NY, but some might be-like the Army Corps of Engineers has jurisdiction over some of our wetlands and streams. The type of land you buy will also determine what regulations that will affect what needs to be done, i.e no wetlands or streams means no costs for compliance.

Co-housing can be affordable and your group can determine that, however, you might have to be creative about it and make some choices, like how far away am I willing to travel to get a good deal on some property or can I find some property that might take some creative designs to put houses in as opposed to some land that would make a good subdivision (more valuable for a developer).

Good luck with your project.

April wrote:
Greetings, all -
First - thanks for sharing your wisdom - it has been both informative and a lot 
of fun to (mostly) lurk on this list over the past months.  I am part of a 
cohousing group in upstate New York - we have formally decided on Capital 
District Eco-housing (www.cdecohousing.org) and are well on our way to creating 
an ecovillage in the Albany region.  We have a vision and have most membership 
issues out of the way.  We are discussing a legal structure and outreach 
efforts are in full swing, with two open houses this month and two next month.  
We'd like to start looking for land this summer.

I have been considering how to phrase this question for over a month now.  I've 
decided to just be blunt and hope I won't offend anyone.

Are there any cohousing communities that are really affordable?  Not cohousing communities 
that have some sort of small "affordable" subsidized housing, but genuinely created 
by those of us that are middle income?  I have followed a number of cohousing-L member links 
back to their websites and have become increasingly worried about the costliness of these 
ventures.  I have found some units for sale that approach $700,000.  My group consists of 
several families - a half million dollar home is completely out of the question, as is 
$200,000 for an undeveloped lot.  And, honestly, I just don't get it.  Shouldn't scale help 
here?  Am I being naïve?

I am very concerned that cohousing, like organics and a good education for your 
kids, is becoming a luxury good.  On the other hand, organic produce can be 
gotten locally, if you find the right farmer, and a good education doesn't mean 
school at all - so maybe there is affordable cohousing possibilities for us 
single-income-with-children families who really need it?  Am I just not looking 
hard enough?

I would love to hear your thought!  Thanks again,

April Roggio

Capital District Eco-housing

aroggio [at] nycap.rr.com

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--
Stuart Joseph, 802-463-1954
Project Director
Caer Coburn, a traditional village based upon  and intentional communities
Rockingham, Vermont, USA
http://www.caercoburn.org


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