RE: defining the cohousing principle | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Rob Sandelin (floriferousmsn.com) | |
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 14:15:54 -0600 (MDT) |
This question begs the question: What is cohousing and how is it differentiated from other kinds of Intentional Communities? In my world view of this, Cohousing is different than most other kinds of Intentional Communities by the following criteria: Commerical bank mortgages for final financing Financial criteria for membership (You have to qualify with a bank for a mortgage in order to be a member, or qualify with a housing agency) Market resalability of homes Market rate housing mostly Involvement with design professionals to produce a intentional design Resident involvement in the design These seem to be somewhat unique to cohousing. There are many other factors which cohousing shares with other kinds of communities, for example: Egalitarian decision making Limited values requirements Open membership Community center (commonhouse) Group meals Shared resources Private home ownership So far in my explorations of Intentional Communities I find it is rare to find a place that has commercial bank mortgagability, and this is often tied to ownership and building code issues. Private home ownership and open market resalability, while not unheard of, seems to be somewhat rare as well. The capitalistic notion homes being investments where you can sell for a profit, is not common in the IC world at least that I have seen thus far. So in the final analysis, perhaps it is the mortgagibility and all that goes with it that differentiates cohousing from other community forms? This seems an odd notion, but home ownership is a key unstated reason why cohousing seems to attract so many middle class professional folks to join in a cooperative housing adventure. If you took that away I would hazard to guess that few projects if any would currently exist becase the banks wouldn't touch it in most places, and the appeal would be much less to the middle classes. One point to make of this, if you can't afford market rate cohousing, but yearn for many of the community values and advantages, pick up a copy of the communities directory and check out the other types of communities. There are many hundreds, and some will be good places for you to explore living cooperatively. ROb Sandelin, On the road, currently in NE Texas.
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defining the cohousing principle Victoria, April 2 2000
- Re: defining the cohousing principle Berrins, April 13 2000
- defining the cohousing principle Tara Ingram, April 13 2000
- Re: defining the cohousing principle Kevin Wolf, April 13 2000
- RE: defining the cohousing principle Rob Sandelin, May 1 2000
- RE: defining the cohousing principle Fred H. Olson, May 1 2000
- Re: defining the cohousing principle Unnat, May 1 2000
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