Cohousing-L Mailing List: HELP MAKE COHOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE

[Richart Keller (richart.keller]

MAKING COHOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE

As many of you may know, there is a new non-profit organization with the
mission of facilitating the development of affordable cohousing:
Partnerships for Affordable Cohousing (PFAC) (www.affordablecohousing.org).


Many forming and existing communities seek ways to become more
income-diverse, to provide ways for those of modest means to become
permanent residents.  Most have found limited success and become discouraged
at the challenges which they encounter.  

PFAC was established to provide existing and forming communities (as well as
architects and developers) with the means to realize this goal.  We occupy a
unique, strategic niche among US cohousing organizations, such as CohoUS,
which both complements and furthers their efforts to promote affordability.


PFAC's role is to provide ways to fill critical gaps in the path to
affordability.  We do this is a variety of ways, depending on what is
appropriate for a particular community--often it is a combination of direct
technical assistance, assisting in establishing a financing strategy,
partnering with or establishing linkages between communities and developers,
on the one hand, and sources of financial support, on the other.  One
mid-term goal of PFAC is to establish a revolving fund which can offer loans
where not otherwise available.  

Currently (in the startup period) these services are being provided on a
limited, as-needed basis through the broad pool of expertise available from
our Board members. This seasoned expertise ranges from providing guidance to
groups or developers considering starting a community through creating and
reviewing potential financial approaches, as well as drawing from our
extensive network to identify and establish relationships with local,
regional, and national resources capable of making the project feasible.  We
can also provide coordination and project management where needed.

To do this work on a larger, sustainable scale, however, our 3-year
Strategic Plan calls for raising funds to hire professional staff, support
on-going administrative and other expenses, and establish a loan fund to
provide financial support to fill gaps and complement the majority of
support obtained from financial institutions and other sources.  


We need your help to make our services available to more forming and
existing cohousing communities:

1) You can support the development of affordable cohousing through the
Donations page of the CohoUS website (www.cohousing.org).

        Be sure to click the box designating "PFAC" as the way in which you
would like your tax-exempt donation used.  

        (Note: CohoUS is NOT fundraising for PFAC; they are only acting as
our fiscal agent.  As noted above, our missions are
           different but they complement each other and, together, expand
the reach of cohousing.  I would encourage you to make
          a donation directly to CohoUS for their important work as well.)

2) Or if you would like to explore ways of investing in the PFAC Cohousing
Fund, please contact PFAC's Treasurer Wendy Willbanks   Wiesner at
303-881-6138 or email her at wendy [at] ethicalcapital.org.
With your support, this option can be made available for the many folks who
would like to become cohousers but who lack the resources.




Richart Keller, AICP
Pioneer Valley Cohousing
120 Pulpit Hill Road #25
Amherst, MA 01002
413-835-0011
401 486-2677 (cell)
(richart.keller [at] gmail.com)

President, Partnerships For Affordable Cohousing
(www.affordablecohousing.org)


Member, Cohousing Research Network (www.cohousingresearchnetwork.org)
Member, Steering Comittee, Massachusetts Finacial Education Collaborative
(www.masssaves.org/mfec)
Member, Steering Committee, Pioneer Valley Sustainability Network
(www.pvSustain.org)