Re: Rentals and aging in community
From: Scott Fallows (scott_fallowsyahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 11:24:50 -0700 (PDT)
I think there is great value in raising awareness among the 20 to 30 age 
group...  perhaps some how on college campuses and/or through social media. 

Here at Heartwood Cohousing in Bayfield, CO we started an organic farm a couple 
years ago.  We invite up to seven interns to come learn farming and experience 
living in community.  Most who come are in their early to mid twenties and live 
amongst us for the growing season (Apr. - Oct.).   Their presence is rich and 
valuable on many levels.  While they typically don't get involved in 
governance, 
they do help out at work parties, assist young families with baby sitting, and 
cook/clean for common meals. As well they bring a certain idealism and sense of 
integrity, and are wonderful mirrors for us all.  A few have stayed on after 
the 
season and become official integral members of the community.  Before the farm, 
that particular age was absent here, save the occasional visiting adult child 
of 
a resident family.  I don't know how other communities can attract that age 
group but in my opinion it is certainly worthy of exploration.


Scott Fallows
Heartwood Cohousing
heartwoodcohousing.com



________________________________
From: Sharon Villines <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
To: Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Thu, April 7, 2011 9:53:02 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Rentals and aging in community



On 7 Apr 2011, at 11:03 AM, Richart Keller wrote:

> By more age divesity, do you mean more young families?

The whole age group of 20-30 is missing from most cohousing communities because 
they are not yet ready or able to purchase homes. The young families may be 
able 
and want to lease a whole unit but single, unpartnered people in this age group 
would be happier and better able to afford studio apartments. Some are happy as 
roommates but this is the age where most are looking for independence. 
Cohousing 
is by definition more interdependent so to both live in what is essentially an 
extended family and share a unit with older people who have been able to afford 
to purchase doesn't provide the opportunity to develop independence.

We had a young man living here who was a roommate childcare provider who was 
about 21. Most roommates and au pair workers don't participate in the 
community, 
but he was quite independent and participated a great deal, even taking on 
governance issues. It was nice to both have his perspective as a person who had 
taken for granted a lot of sustainability and relationship issues and have the 
opportunity to educate him about cohousing and what it means to be financially 
and personally responsible for a maintaining a community.

If we educate this age group, the ideas about cohousing will spread more 
dependably.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org




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