Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Getting Work Done: Senior cohousing, cleaning in a multi-family building.

[R Philip Dowds (rphilipdowds]

Most cohousing is self-managed … which means, the stability and continuity of 
the property is mostly due to volunteer labor, plus of course monthly dues.  In 
most cohousing, households have differing levels of financial flexibility; 
those whose monthly dues are appx 15% or 20% of household income have lots of 
flexibility, while those whose monthly dues are 40% or 50% have very little.  
For senior cohousing, some members are active and strong, but others are frail 
and of poor ambulation (never mind dementia).

I think our cohousing commitment to “diversity” is very real, and very 
important to us.  But if we are of diverse financial means and diverse physical 
capabilities, we are opting into some problems that are hard to solve.  
Problems that are shunned by many condos, by many neighborhoods, and by many 
CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities).  I don’t have any 
recommendations or proposals.  I will simply note that we are not incorporated 
or convened as care facilities, and there may be limits to how much we can 
expect of ourselves.

I say all this as an 80-year-old who, for the time being, is not yet plagued by 
severe financial or physical limitations.

Thanks,
RPD

PS:  Mud at the entries?  If you have mudroom entries, complete with tiled or 
grated floors, benches, coathooks, and personal storage for swapping out indoor 
with outdoor footwear, then your building is supporting your interests, and you 
have a fighting chance.  If you do not have these mudrooms, life will be 
harder.  (Said as someone who lives in a common house without mudrooms …)

> On Oct 30, 2024, at 4:50 PM, Barbara Smith via Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] 
> cohousing.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Getting the Work Done:  Senior Cohousing with some lower income residents 
> need to get the cleaning done in a multi-unit building. With hall rugs.
> 
> Here’s the problem: Hager Homestead, an over 55 cohousing in Littleton, MA is 
> finally becoming occupied. Residents moved into the multi-family building a 
> month ago and are just facing the fact that we have 3 floors of hall rugs to 
> vacuum, hall baseboards to clean and windows to wash.  We are, in addition, a 
> community where a significant % of households have lower incomes, but along a 
> sliding scale of incomes. That is, units with a lower purchase price and 
> lower monthly fees. (It’s Massachusetts, so it’s complicated.) A few units 
> will be occupied by fully “low income” residents. In short, ours is a very 
> diverse community: we have income issues, health issues and a few members 
> have physical issues that prevent them from doing some kinds of work, like 
> vacuuming and getting down on their knees to scrub walls. And some are still 
> happily employed and healthy. 
> 
> Most of the people in my building would prefer NOT to do the 
> vacuuming/baseboard cleaning and I have been getting quotes from professional 
> cleaners. Of course, economically challenged residents worry about the cost. 
> Some people (fewer) want to do the work themselves. 
> 
> Given the complexities, should the cleaning cost be part of the monthly HOA? 
> Have any other communities grappled with this problem? I’m 75 years old, 
> quite healthy, am economically challenged & I’d still rather pay for 
> cleaning. But the main thing is to be fair and kind to all members and not 
> embarrass people.
> 
> Also: what do communities do to prevent winter wet & mud from getting in on 
> the hall rugs?  Take off boots at the door? 
> 
>  
>  
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