Cohousing-L Mailing List: Low-Income, Affordable Cohousing

[rehm (rehm]

Now that cohousing is "just another housing type"  (well maybe 
not yet in the eyes of most lenders, but that's the push
of the Cohousing (TM) Movement), I'd like to find out
what experiences, resources, ideas people on this have
about "affordable cohousing" for people with low and/or fixed
incomes. 

It seems to me that the current cohousing trends only marginally
expand the the lower end of therange of incomes for participants, 
and/or rely on imaginative and well-intentioned subsidies by other 
cohousing members.

I belong to a cohousing (TM not!) group in Seattle called 
The New Cohousing Group.  Our vision has all of the nice cohousing visions,
plus a commitment to affordable housing.  One of our "non-negotiables" is
limiting equity in the sale of dwellings.  The sale price of a dwelling,
beyond improvements, will be linked to a small percentage more than
than some standard economic indicated (inflation, wage trends, etc.)
(Obviously, we haven't talked to any lenders/banks yet.  We're just now 
buying ear plugs to protect  ourselves from the volume of their laughter.)  
In one respect, this is nothing new: there are limited equity apartment 
buildings and condos built with public subsidies around the country.  
        Where do I get info on projects like this?  
        Have any public-financed housing developments ever been 
                built with a limited equity stipulation.

We're also pursuing cooperative finanical organization, and land ownership 
in the form of a land trust.  (We haven't started looking for land either.)

To really do affordable housing for families with annual incomes of
$15K - $30K, we will have to find grants, low down-payment loans, etc.
        Where do we start?  
        Who do we call/write? 
                (I do have HUD Secretary Henry Cisnero's phone number, thank 
you.)
        Any suggestions on articles or books?

Thanks for the help!

/eric rehm
Housing is housing, not an investment!  [The New Cohousing Group]
Seattle, WA
rehm [at] zso.dec.com