Cohousing-L Mailing List: Community-owned rentals?

[Sanna McKim (sanna]

Here at Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage in Maine, we are brainstorming ways to 
fund the remaining part of our common house budget which now falls outside our 
development budget (we're looking for creative ideas other than just charge 
people a flat fee or add to the condo fees). I'm playing with ways we could 
earn money instead. Aside from a wild and probably unpopular idea of renting 
the entire community out one weekend a month to a conference or wedding or 
something (76 bedrooms at $100/night x 2 plus something for the common house 
could yield around $20K per weekend). But we also have the right to develop one 
more building (beyond the barn/shop). I am wondering if anyone knows of 
communities that have built an additional unit or apt building to, over the 
long haul, provide income for the community. I know I've seen at least one in 
Denmark (Dyssekilde ecovillage) that is very plain but very popular. They say 
it is always full and a good source of regular income to offset their budget.

Thanks in advance for letting me know if you've heard of any in the US that do 
that. (Or any other creative ideas for earning money as a community for 
shortfalls).

Sanna McKim