Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Launching June 15: CohousingMap.net

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Jun 16, 2016, at 10:54 PM, Corey <corey.birnbaum [at] gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I think the better tools we have, the more
> people we'll attract, especially the younger generations who are used to
> slick web apps. But you're absolutely right, money needs to go into it for
> this work to be sustainable. I'm curious how that will work.

The money issue and who pays for it is a perennial one with cohousing. The 
Cohousing Association has only recently (in the last few years) gotten on its 
feet financially. It’s “paid” staff are minimally paid.

All the money in cohousing goes to building new communities. Most of the issues 
are personal decision issues — which heating system works best? What happens if 
we decide to build the common house later? Do you have commercial or 
residential dishwashers?

The fastest way to get up-to-date information is to ask a question on this 
list. Or to just lurk.

Once their community is built and they move-in, cohousers are most interested 
in living in cohousing, not developing it, or even in making contact with other 
communities. Whatever money they have goes into their own community. 

The tools are nice but i don’t think they are a revenue stream. Apps get 
started like Sean is developing his. They develop for a long time before there 
is any revenue stream. Cohousing is much too small to for an investor other 
than a volunteer, like Sean, to invest in an app to serve it.

Unless you can wed cohousing to a general movement that includes other kinds of 
community associations, it’s a very small pie. Even the Community Associations 
Institute had to place major focus on training property managers in order to 
support themselves and grow.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org