Cohousing-L Mailing List: Retrofit Cohousing

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

As a long time advocate of Retrofit Cohousing, it's been interesting
to see Alan O'Hashi's Feb 25 webchat
(via https://www.cohousing.org/node/6645 **)
and recent discussion on Cohousing-L (thread:
Re: Tonight's Web Chat on Retrofit Cohousing )  The topic has been
discussed periodically on the list over the years and at conference
workshops twice that I know of.  A search of https://www.cohousing.org
gets 4 pages of hits.  My old Retrofit Cohousing page is at:
http://mn.cohousing.org/retrofit/

I feel the need to make a couple caveats:

The Cohousing Glossary on cohousing.org includes:

>Retrofit cohousing: A type of cohousing in which neighbors transform
>an existing neighborhood over time rather than building from the
>ground up and all at once. Retrofit cohousing has the potential to be
>more cost effective than developing a brand-new community and can
>allow for more opportunities for rental housing in the community .

That definition does not make clear that most committed Retrofit
Cohousing members move to the community rather than being neighbors
who choose to join. This generally means the community can only grow
when a current resident moves out making a house available.  This
makes the development a long term project.  Another complication is
establishing a common house. Having events at member houses works but
is generally not the same as having a neutral space where people can
spontaneously spend time informally. Getting close to the 30 households
that many believe to be optimal is a challenge. Most retrofit
cohousing efforts that I am aware of have been in single family
housing which tends to be spread out enough to make this difficult.

But it is possible.  I agree with Ann Zabaldo in her 25 Feb post that
the web site of long time established Retrofit Cohousing community, N
Street Cohousing in Davis, CA (19 houses, one of which includes common
space) is a good place to start. http://nstreetcohousing.org/about

Like regular cohousing development, retrofit cohousing is a big
project tho very different.  Most proposals probably do not succeed.
But the effort to establish retrofit cohousing builds community
itself.  Both face the major challenge of progressing far enough to be
perceived as viable so that people are willing to invest in and commit
to the project.

One variant is an effort to attempt to organize in an
established multifamily housing development to more resemble
cohousing.  For example an effort here in the Twin Cities in
a 67 unit condo building. See https://suitecohousing.wordpress.com/

But again most current residents are unlikely to make cohousing-like
relations with neighbors a priority so again growth most likely will
be thru recuiting members to move in when units become availalble.
But organizing efforts build community...

A variant of this that I have been pondering lately is to organize in
an existing multiunit cooperative development where the culture is
already "cooperative".  (I often argue that cohousing is a form of a
cooperative. MN is home to many coops.)  Despite my preference for
multigenerational cohousing I've been looking at senior housing coops
since they seem to be so numerous. But it turns out, that is a skewed
observation. Of are 121 senior housing coops in the US
listed at http://seniorcoopliving.org/directory/
81 are in MN, most of those are in the Twin Cities and 19 are within a
few miles of my house.  We have gotten on the waiting list of the
nearest one to give us an option. We've attended one "common meal"
earlier this month and plan to attend another tonight. About 1/3 of
the 160 residents (123 units) attended the first one.

Our long time efforts to build "Homewood Cohousing" (a name that
represents mostly wishful thinking and is now seldom used) seems very
unlikely to ever resemble cohousing much. ( tho my web page about it
has not had updates in many years, see:
http://mn.cohousing.org/homewood/

We have missed many opportunities when houses became available.  We
never achieved the perception of viability and have not had a "waiting
list".  On the other hand we have a great "block club" that meets
every other month, has block cleanups and occasional other activities
and welcomes new residents. (And doorknocks to warn people there car
might get towed when snow is to be plowed...)

Fred

** This webchat page can also be found at https://www.cohousing.org
via the >Connecting with Cohousing >WebChats menu links


--
Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411  USA        (near north Mpls)
     Email:        fholson at cohousing.org      612-588-9532
My Link Pg: http://fholson.cohousing.org