Re: Affordability
From: Rob Sandelin (robsanmicrosoft.com)
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 95 10:21:55 PDT
Some deas for affordability:

1. Self build the  houses.
2. Use manufactured housing or straw bale.
3. Phase development over ten year period.
4. Don't use commercial banks. No loans.

5. I was told of a group of people who wanted to do the move out into 
the country commune sort of thing.  Unfortunately this group of 5 
families, while they had jobs and were getting by, couldn't seem to 
save anything.  So they all moved into a big rental  house together, 
turned the garage into a kids bunkhouse, and created a simple agreement 
that the rent, utilitities and food savings they had by living under 
one roof would all go into a joint savings account.  They sold off 
their excess cars, and other things they no longer needed, and also 
added that to the account total with a special agreement about that 
money.  In three years  they learned amazing things about living in 
community - because they were doing it- and they saved up $60,000! 
During this time, their vision changed and instead they bought a 
larger, more flexable house on an acre in town, fixed up with labor and 
their own cash, paid off the mortgage in five years, grow their own 
food on their land in town, jointly own 3 cars, a camper bus, and of 
course a bunch of other stuff, and are living in community.

I was told this story by a person who was part of that group, over a 
campfire in Yosemite Valley 14 years ago.  I have heard similiar other 
stories of people who have little money, who pool their resources, make 
a commitment to live together, and they find cooperative living to work 
very well as a strategy for saving money.  So - the gist of this long 
story is, why couldn't a core group join households for 2 years as a 
fund raising strategy?  It is not only cheaper to live with 2-3 
families, co-own things and share costs- it is also less work, and it 
builds community from the get go. Then put the savings toward the land 
purchase?

Rob Sandelin
4 shorts and a long


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