Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re:Participation/Maintenance questions

[Lynn Nadeau (welcome]

> What are the advantages and disadvantages of assessing maintenance costs 
>*and*
>> time commitments based on "unit entitlement" (based on square footage)? For
>> example, unit owners with larger units would be expected to put in more 
money
>> into maintenance and time into participation?

There are two separate issues here (at least!):
financial assessments
work requirements

Financial:
RoseWind has always used a flat rate. We are working hard to develop a 
system, which we'll try this coming year, which allows a sort of sliding 
scale based, not on housing size but on ability and willingness to pay. 
Our financial resources are quite diverse, and do not really correlate 
that much with our house size. (My large house was a gift from my father; 
my own income is small, and I offset my property tax and insurance costs 
by renting to housemates.)

Based on our past experience in dealing with financial challenges, we are 
giving serious consideration to sorting our annual budget by priorities, 
with essentials at one end of the scale, and drawing a line defining a 
minimum assessment. Then, calculating on an equal-pay basis, determine a 
standard assessment figure. Let's say $900 for the year. Then have people 
write on a slip of paper how much they are willing and able to pay, with 
a minimum of say $700. Our experience suggests that enough people will 
volunteer OVER the amount, to balance those who are UNDER the amount, and 
we will probably come out close to even. If we are short, we can ask for 
a "re-vote", and might well come up to the amount, if people are asked to 
reconsider, and maybe offer more. All anonymously. No embarrassment, no 
using one's greater contribution to have power over how it is spent. 
Another approach to a shortfall would be to trim that much from the 
proposed expenses. We haven't decided yet on our system, but it says 
something that we are giving serious discussion to this approach. 

A survey taken indicates that about a quarter of our membership would 
prefer to pay less than our current assessment, and another group would 
gladly pay more. 

Work:
We also trust each other's willingness to pitch in, according to our 
physical and emotional ability and availabilities. I divided the common 
house cleaning into 20 jobs, and almost immediately had sign ups to fill 
the slots for the coming two months. Those who don't sign up are trusted 
to have good reason not to, at this time. When we were building the 
common house, and volunteering a lot of work, a member family that still 
lives out of town mailed us a donation of $500, as a token of their 
inability to pitch in physically. Voluntarily. As Rob has repeatedly 
noted, some people will always work more than others. And we just let 
that be ok. If we had a working couple who wanted to buy out of their 
work jobs, we'd say "Is there something you CAN do?" or let them make a 
donation to the operations committee budget, I suppose. 


There is no "right" way. The best thing you can do is to build good human 
relationships, community feelings, and trust. Have retreats and get to 
know each other, with a break from "business". Work on your vision and 
your goals. All this creates the positive spirit that will go farther 
than any set of rules in getting participation without coercion. Things 
are so much easier now that we know each other and care about each other 
and see some of the fruits of our common efforts. 

Lynn Nadeau

Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing
Port Townsend Washington (Victorian seaport, music, art, nature)
http://www.olypen.com/sstowell/rosewind
http://www.ptguide.com

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