Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Annual costs - charging residents and/or owners

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

IAN_HIG [at] antdiv.gov.au wrote:

>I am seeking information about how functioning cohouses catagorise
>the costs of running the cohouse for charging to owners and residents.

At Sharingwood we create an annual budget for expected expenses, then 
divide this up by the memberships (currently 17) then divide it up by 
12 to create a monthly assessment.

This covers things such as general insurance(not on units, but on 
commons), taxes on commons, committee expenditures such as gardening 
supplies, tool purchase, mailing costs of newsletter etc., childcare 
for meetings and capital improvements. This works out to be $45 per 
month, per unit.  Renters ( We have 2 currently) pay for assessments 
minus taxes and capital improvements ($12 per month)

Our common meal accounts work like this. Each meal is $2 per person, $1 
for children. Those who eat but are not on a cooking team (3 members) 
pay more ($3 per meal).  There is check list with everyones name on it 
and you check off your name when you eat dinner. When you buy food for 
community dinner your costs are subtracted from your meal account.  The 
overage in the account is used to buy bulk food orders. Typically it 
works out that by months end my family pays about $20 per month, plus 
one shopping trip for community dinner.

Rob - That guy who sure writes a lot!