Cohousing-L Mailing List: Affordability?

[Rod Lambert (rod]

April,
As a development manager for an ecovillage south of Ithaca NY, we are projecting common costs of approx 40k. I have created 2 designs that are very efficient, elegantly simple designs that generate house prices starting at 110k incl the common costs - for a 2 bdrm 900 sq ft. I recommend a construction management system similar to what I used in the 2nd nbhd at EcoVillage at Ithaca. I collaboratively designed most of the custom homes there and on one, which I also built myself, the building costs were only $60/sqft. in 2003$ (for 2300 sf) It is possible! but it is very dependent on having the right attitude and approach - watching "cost-points" like a hawk. The system we used allows for economies of scale, contract only, sweat equity, and other affordability strategies. 
Perhaps you should visit and see for yourself?

Regards
Rod


<<<<<Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:40:04 -0500
From: "April" <aroggio [at] nycap.rr.com>
Subject: [C-L]_ Affordability?
To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Message-ID: <02e701c7670f$d28aa360$1802a8c0@TEMPLEGODESS>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"

Greetings, all - 



First - thanks for sharing your wisdom - it has been both informative and a lot 
of fun to (mostly) lurk on this list over the past months.  I am part of a 
cohousing group in upstate New York - we have formally decided on Capital 
District Eco-housing (www.cdecohousing.org) and are well on our way to creating 
an ecovillage in the Albany region.  We have a vision and have most membership 
issues out of the way.  We are discussing a legal structure and outreach 
efforts are in full swing, with two open houses this month and two next month.  
We'd like to start looking for land this summer.



I have been considering how to phrase this question for over a month now.  I've 
decided to just be blunt and hope I won't offend anyone.



Are there any cohousing communities that are really affordable?  Not cohousing 
communities that have some sort of small "affordable" subsidized housing, but 
genuinely created by those of us that are middle income?  I have followed a number of 
cohousing-L member links back to their websites and have become increasingly worried 
about the costliness of these ventures.  I have found some units for sale that approach 
$700,000.  My group consists of several families - a half million dollar home is 
completely out of the question, as is $200,000 for an undeveloped lot.  And, honestly, I 
just don't get it.  Shouldn't scale help here?  Am I being na?ve?



I am very concerned that cohousing, like organics and a good education for your 
kids, is becoming a luxury good.  On the other hand, organic produce can be 
gotten locally, if you find the right farmer, and a good education doesn't mean 
school at all - so maybe there is affordable cohousing possibilities for us 
single-income-with-children families who really need it?  Am I just not looking 
hard enough?



I would love to hear your thought!  Thanks again,



April Roggio

Capital District Eco-housing

aroggio [at] nycap.rr.com

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