Re: Truly affordable cohousing | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Rob Sandelin (floriferousmsn.com) | |
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 10:33:23 -0700 (PDT) |
Marganne asked about ideas about affordable housing. There three models in which cohousing has been created. The most common is what I term, the large project model, where the entire project is designed and built out all at once. This model generally requires millions of dollars to pull off and usually has a standardized group design. Another model is the retrofit model, where people buy existing homes or structures and then convert them into a more community centered organization. This still can be pretty expensive but can cost less overall than the project model. Yet another model is the lot development model. In this model, land is divided up into lots, the infrastructure is put in such as parking, roads, and utilities and then individuals design and build their own homes. Costs depend upon how much of the work is done by members of the community and home costs then can vary greatly depending upon whether you want a small self built cob structure, or a more typical 3 bedroom house. I live in a 21 year old lot development community and housing costs range from $40,000 to over $700,000. The lowest cost structures are hand built from recycled materials and are simply the cost of the lot and small materials costs. The most expensive structure is a custom designer timberframe top of the line house. All within the same community, each according to the desire of the lot owner. There are many difficulties in any of the models, if real estate development was easy and cheap, everyone would be doing it. Once when I sat next to a banker on a flight I described cohousing as a group of relative strangers who join together often for several years who work together to design and build their own neighborhoods based upon principles of cooperation and knowing each other in a social context. He told me that such a thing was impossible and could NEVER be done, heck most married couples often can't build a house together without ending up in divorce court. He was stunned when I pulled out the cohousing book and showed him example after example. It is possible, but it sure aint easy. And sometimes it takes a bit of good luck. Rob Sandelin 17 year resident of Sharingwood Community Snohomish County, WA
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Truly affordable cohousing Marganne, May 9 2008
- Re: Truly affordable cohousing Brian Bartholomew, May 10 2008
- Re: Truly affordable cohousing Rob Sandelin, May 10 2008
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Re: Truly affordable cohousing Stuart Joseph, May 10 2008
- Re: Truly affordable cohousing Marganne, May 10 2008
- Message not available
- Re: Truly affordable cohousing melanie griffin, May 10 2008
- Re: Truly affordable cohousing John Faust, May 10 2008
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