Cohousing-L Mailing List: Small Cohousing Units [was Tiny homes info]

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

I am not in anyway criticizing the small homes or saying that they are  
not a good alternative, but also remember that the building is only  
the beginning.

Add the cost of land and the infrasstructure -- plumbing, electricity,  
sewer -- and I suspect it doubles the cost. I can't tell what kind of  
HVAC systems they have but I doubt that they are included since the  
type needed would vary with geographic location.

If you built attached apartment units of 400 sq feet, the cost would  
be, I think, equal. These are 1998-99 prices but in our complex, a 400  
square foot unit would have cost well under $100,000 as well. 658 sq  
ft cost $90,000. (We moved in in 2000 but the prices were set in 1998  
or 1999.) And in attached dwellings, the energy costs are much lower.  
There is a condo fee but it covers also covers water, gas, internet  
access, exterior maintenance, plumbing repairs outside the unit, etc.  
If you have an organization like cohousing so you can design the small  
units in the first place, it is a much cheaper way to live in the long  
run.

Building small units into the attached single-family dwellings might  
be a good focus for low income housing.

American Demographics reported in 2003 26 per cent of all US  
households was a single person. During the 1990s 1 of every 3 new  
households was a single person household. While I can't imagine living  
in this small space with 2 or more people, they do it in Manhattan,  
though 550 and 600 units are more commong -- in fact, numerous.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines in Washington DC
Where all roads lead to Casablanca