Cohousing-L Mailing List: [no subject]

[Barbara Saunders (saunders]

The issue of consumerism  and its stronghold has come up in many of the
conversations I have had about cohousing, especially with journalist looking
to pigeon hole our group as 'a new form of socialism". I try to stress that
we're not 'anti'- anything, but rather are  'pro-use' in all areas of our
lives- starting at home. Since we're building from the  ground up I see us as
the ultimate capitalist- a group of consumers banding together in a
purchasing pool to get what we want.
For me this means getting more value out of my home, community,
 relationships, work hours, money- everything.

Corey Yugler
Broward Commons
Florida
(soon to be renamed)
----------------

Why is this a crucial issue for you? And what aspects of it are crucial? 
 I'm having a hard time understanding your point so I have several 
questions. Is it your belief that cohousing is supposed to solve the housing 
problems of America, or the rest of the world?  And if you beleive that, 
why?  Are you a part of a cohousing group, and if so, are your statements 
reflected in the groups goals? 

Rob Sandelin
 
---------------

To answer these two at once.  For the record, I'm not involved in a cohousing
group at the moment. Also, I think capitalism/socialism is a false dichotomy.

First, I have as negative a knee-jerk reaction to "capitalist" as Corey
does to "socialist" ;)  As I understand capitalism, a group of people
pooling their efforts to get what they want isn't "capitalism" until they've
got a group of other people, who *don't have ownership of the end product,
also contributing their efforts.  I.e., when "Disney" owns cohousing units
and makes profit (on an absentee basis) off of the members who live 
there. The members, then, are getting their consumer item, they are *not
getting *ownership of the end product of the enterprise, of the reason for
Disney's "generous" subsidy -- the profit. I would be uncomfortable living
in cohousing "owned" by Disney, or whomever.

To answer Rob's (??) questions (and continuing with the capitalist/socialist
theme):

I never thought of cohousing as "the solution to housing problems
in America."  IMO, the same lack of training and education that keeps 
many families in poverty would prevent those same families from successfully
participating in the sophisticated work involved in creating cohousing.  From
the techniques of "community-building" psychology to the ins and outs of
hiring architects, etc.  Cohousing, in my mind, requires *educated (not
necessarily formally educated) participants.

But, as long as cohousing is nearly as expensive as buying your own house,
I think a potential benefit is lost. IMO, the lack of "community" in our
society in general is largely do to the way we work.  One of my reasons
for interest in cooperative housing of whatever type is so that participants
can avoid the duplicated costs involved in purchasing single family homes,
and be able to rechannel the energy spent on big-bucks-80-hr-a-week careers
into time actually spent *literally in the community. 

Barbara