Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Diversity Problem

[Dick Margulis (dick]

On 8/1/2018 1:54 PM, Sharon Villines via Cohousing-L wrote:
> Since our most successful source of residents is friends or acquaintances, I personally am doubtful unless we all have diverse friends 

Rocky Corner has attracted all of its members based on their interest in 
cohousing and not based on prior acquaintance. Nonetheless, we are 
mostly white, mostly Democrats, and mostly well educated. That is the 
market for cohousing, like it or not.

There are many ways to have community in your life, and when I'm in our 
booth at a farmers' market and talk with a cross-section of people, the 
theme that emerges is "That sounds great, but I already have community 
in my life." And when I press a little, I find out it's true. "I've got 
three aunts, four uncles, and two sets of grandparents within a block of 
where I live." "My church is my community. I'm at choir practice twice a 
week, two services on Sunday, the sewing circle on Wednesday afternoons. 
How much more community do I need?" "Everyone on my block comes from the 
same village in Guatemala. We all grew up together."

What does this tell us? Cohousing is a healing balm for people who grew 
up alienated in suburbia. It provides community for people who don't 
already have it. The demographics are what they are.

>  From CityLab: Cohousing's Diversity Problem by AMANDA ABRAMS
>
> "Despite its potential, 95 percent of U.S. cohousers are white, 82 percent identify 
> as Democrats, and 66 percent hold a graduate degree, according to one study."
>
> http://bit.ly/2Aw3SVb

Dick Margulis
http://www.rockycorner.org/