Re: Supporting forming communities & national policies/structures
From: Bob Morrison (bomorriscisco.com)
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 11:19:11 -0700 (MST)
  On 11/4/03, Tom Hammer <thammer302 [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

>Here in the middle of the East Coast [near where PA, MD, and DE come
>together} is a vast wasteland of no cohousing.  We're just an example
of
>one of many such areas in the country.

>Wouldn't it make more sense if money and effort flowed the other
direction,
>from formed communities into specific areas of the country with no
>cohousing?
  Yes, it would.
  I am close to another "dead zone" for cohousing. In NH and Maine, with
a
combined population of 2.5 million, there is one established cohousing
group
(Two Echo) and, according to the directory on www.cohousing.org, no
forming
groups.
  However, I don't think this flow of money and effort can occur without
the national organization (CohoUS) being involved.

>Now, I know you some are saying, "but..."  and "but..." including, "but
that
>would cost the National money it doesn't have."  If every member of a
>cohousing community paid $X dues to the National, or if every formed
>community just paid the dues based on its membership, and included in
>that $X were $ earmarked specifically to help spread cohousing around
>the country, then it would sure help a lot.

  As I understand it, most cohousing groups are already dues-paying
members
of CohoUS. But CohoUS can't depend entirely on dues for funding.
  We haven't heard much from CohoUS lately about what they are doing to
promote cohousing, especially in the "dead zones" Tom mentioned. I hope
someone from CohoUS is reading this thread and will respond. Is CohoUS
still financially strapped, as they were a year or two ago? If they are,
they can't
do much to help new cohousing groups to form.
  Strong regional umbrella groups are absolutely essential for this. I
haven't
heard much from CohoUS lately about their helping these regional groups
to
get stronger either.

Bob Morrison
Boxboro, MA

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