Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Cutting Housing Costs

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Bill Paiss asked

> I would love to hear from groups that have been even partially
>successful with sweat equity on individual homes within their communities.

As far as I know of and can count, there are about 40  intentional 
communities in Washington and Oregon which have totally built there 
communities using "sweat equity".  To list just a few, Alpha Farm, 
Teramanto, Love Israel, Wesleyan, Walker Creek Farm, Aprovecho, Blue 
Mountain Farm, Brietenbush, Dapala farm, Earth Cycle farm, Lichen, 
Methow center, Old McCauley farm, Windward.  You can read about many of 
these communities in the NEW directory for intentional communities, 
available soon in a bookstore near you.

The cost of living in these communities is a fraction of what is costs 
in Cohousing.  They also tend to use less resources, be closer knit, 
and some support themselves entirely by work within the community.  
Within these communities there are many different models of ownership.  
For example the Weslayian community owns 17? very deluxe, 3-5 bedroom 
houses which the residents have lifetime occupancy of and full equity 
in.  They can sell their equity to the community when they leave.  
Other communal systems have no private ownership, and equity is 
exchanged for living support and given to the community.

I had a long discussion a while ago with a person from habitat for 
humanity.  They tend to use their own revolving loan funds to build 
houses rather than commercial bank mortgages because its easier and 
better for their clients.  They have a 70 million dollar loan fund 
which finances houses and provides mortgages to their clients.  They 
raised over 5 million dollars just in the N.W. area alone last year!

Just adding some ideas.  I would encourage all to get the new 
intentional communities directory when it arrives and go visit a couple 
of communities in your area.  You can learn a lot of valuable lessons 
from the other communities out there.

Rob Sandelin
Treasurer, N.W. Intentional Communities Association