Cohousing-L Mailing List: cohousing & public policy

cohousing & public policy	<– Date –> <– Thread –>
From: Robert Wiener (rwienernetquarters.net)
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 10:31:21 -0500
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Hello,
My name is Rob Wiener.  I live at Two Echo Cohousing in Brunswick,
Maine.  (We have a rural, lot-development model community of 27 single
family and duplex houses clustered closely on a 92 acre plot of woods
and fields.  Most of the undeveloped acreage (72 acres) is preserved in
a conservation easement.  Eight households live here now, with several
more houses under construction.  We hope to start designing our common
house later this year.  There are eight available lots, plus a couple of
duplex units.)

I am a graduate student in public policy.  My final project (not a
thesis, really) is on the interface between cohousing and public
policy.  Based on the premise that cohousing has potential benefits for
many people and for society, I am looking at the chief obstacles to
cohousing development, and the ways in which policies (state, local, and
perhaps even federal) impact development efforts.  If you are interested
in thinking about these questions, and would like to either talk to me
or write back, please read on.
Here are some basic questions:

   * What are the biggest obstacles facing cohousing developments?
   * In what ways have public policies posed hurdles to cohousing
     development?
   * In what ways might policy measures or changes facilitate cohousing
     development, or at least pose fewer hurdles?
   * What potential features might be emphasized in cohousing
     developments to increase their benefits to society?
   * What is your estimate of the attrition rate for new groups?  (How
     many new cohousing groups actually build something?)
   * What are the most common reasons for groups to give up?

Thanks in advance for considering this.  If you would rather talk than
write, please let me know how and when to try to reach you by phone (so
I pay for the call.)

Thanks,
Rob Wiener

--------------A406B0FDD69310983FCAC3BC

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
Hello,
<br>My name is Rob Wiener.&nbsp; I live at Two Echo Cohousing in Brunswick,
Maine.&nbsp; (We have a rural, lot-development model community of 27 single
family and duplex houses clustered closely on a 92 acre plot of woods and
fields.&nbsp; Most of the undeveloped acreage (72 acres) is preserved in
a conservation easement.&nbsp; Eight households live here now, with several
more houses under construction.&nbsp; We hope to start designing our common
house later this year.&nbsp; There are eight available lots, plus a couple
of duplex units.)
<p>I am a graduate student in public policy.&nbsp; My final project (not
a thesis, really) is on the interface between cohousing and public policy.&nbsp;
Based on the premise that cohousing has potential benefits for many people
and for society, I am looking at the chief obstacles to cohousing development,
and the ways in which policies (state, local, and perhaps even federal)
impact development efforts.&nbsp; If you are interested in thinking about
these questions, and would like to either talk to me or write back, please
read on.
<br>Here are some basic questions:
<ul>
<li>
What are the biggest obstacles facing cohousing developments?</li>

<li>
In what ways have public policies posed hurdles to cohousing development?</li>

<li>
In what ways might policy measures or changes facilitate cohousing development,
or at least pose fewer hurdles?</li>

<li>
What potential features might be emphasized in cohousing developments to
increase their benefits to society?</li>

<li>
What is your estimate of the attrition rate for new groups?&nbsp; (How
many new cohousing groups actually build something?)</li>

<li>
What are the most common reasons for groups to give up?</li>
</ul>
Thanks in advance for considering this.&nbsp; If you would rather talk
than write, please let me know how and when to try to reach you by phone
(so I pay for the call.)
<p>Thanks,
<br>Rob Wiener</html>

--------------A406B0FDD69310983FCAC3BC--
CoHousing & Public Policy Mark Dempsey, November 6 1998
- cohousing & public policy Robert Wiener, April 28 1999
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