Cohousing-L Mailing List: affordable housing

[BERWIN (BERWIN]

   We had a long discussion here on front porches. And we've talked about
keeping the cars away from the houses. The point being trying to bring back
the closeness once found in small towns. I remember many of the houses my
family lived in where the garage was at the back of the long and narrow back
yard.
  I also remember that in many of these houses with front porches these
porches were nearly a level up. Beneath this first floor was an apartment,
sometimes ground level, sometimes semi basement .
  So here's another idea regarding affordable housing. Affordable apartments
are a start. Many people can afford to pay a reasonable apartment rate but
will never have the downpayment for a house.
  Of course it would be great if the cohousing group as a whole financed the
building of such an apartment, financed the apartment part of the house, but
why not encourage some of the  cohousing home owners who have the financial
ability  to build such a house as their own and then rent out the lower
level and as benevolent landlords charge a reasonable rate. Thus enabling
someone who otherwise wouldn't be able to live in cohousing live there and
at the same time the home owner has a nice property investment.
  Anybody else know the houses I'm talking about, found mostly in the
residential areas of cities?
  Leah