Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: dom violence

[Jeffrey O. Hobson (dcn00109]

Sabin Cohousing in Portland, OR, tried something which you may be interested
in hearing about.  They are a loose, retrofit place, with about 5 houses or
so, bought in an inner-city neighborhood in Portland.  Many in the group
work in community development stuff, and are trying to stop gentrification
in the area.  

I have a brief, probably inaccurate, description of a project they've tried.
A group which was trying to set up a residential program for Afro-Am women
trying to kick drug/alcohol abuse came to the Sabin folks asking for advice
on how to develop the residential program as cohousing.  After awhile of
working on it, they decided against cohousing because it didn't match the
group's needs, and decided in favor of a family-mentor program in duplexes.
I would appreciate it if anyone has more, or more accurate, info on Sabin.

You can read about them in _In Context_, issue no.35, or _Communities_,
no.82 (p.10), or an article in _New Age_ (dunno when).  You can contact them
through Diane Meisenthelter, Ongoing Concerns Cohousing, (503) 284-8870.
I'm not sure of their address; it may be PO Box 13070, Portland OR 97213.
Information may have a better address.  They are on Goings St in Portland.

I think you're right that cohousing can deter domestic violence, by having
watching eyes.  Another good reason to try to make it affordable, and be
available as widely as possible.

peace,
Jeffrey Hobson
dcn00109 [at] wheel.ucdavis.edu
N Street Cohousing, Davis Energy Group