Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Political context of cohousing

[Kevin Wolf (kjwolf]

Regarding Craig Willis comments about the political in co-housing.  N=20
Street might be different than most co-housing communities because we've=20
added houses one at a time over eight years.  Our community is=20
predominantly on the left end of the political perspective.  Close to=20
100% vote, most of us are involved in some good cause or another, many as=
=20
leaders.  =C0We basically agree on most political issues, especially in=20
voting (though some of us are in the Green Party, while others are=20
independents, and most are probably registered Democrats.  I don't=20
believe there is a Republican among us.)  We disagree on tactics, large=20
scale strategy, some on science (we have a number of PhD scientist types=20
who knock the sense out of some of our newspaper gathered wisdom). =20
Overall, there is a great deal of agreement.

Why N Street may be different  is that most people rent here before=20
buying a place or becoming permanently involved.  Most started by renting=
=20
a room in someone an existing members house.  Until the last year, almost=
=20
everyone of the owners rented rooms, and all the houses owned by absentee=
=20
landlords were rented by groups of unrelated adults.  What happens in=20
this selection process is that those people who like the existing=20
political makeup, philosophy etc are selected in the first place by their=
=20
housemates or self-select over time.  And I imagine that there is some=20
pursuasion happening whereby people change their attitudes and ideas=20
based on new infomration which they get from living here and being in on=20
some of the conversations and information sharing. =20

I would like to hear if non-retrofitted communities are as politically=20
homogenous as ours. =20

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Kevin Wolf
724 N St
Davis, CA 95616
phone and fax: 916-758-4211