Cohousing-L Mailing List: Cohousing ---> more diverse models?

[Mmariner (Mmariner]

(This is an offshoot of the "Is the term Cohousing hurting us?" thread.)

I, too resonate with Pablo's thoughts -- and have a reaction to Rob's post
saying:

" ....it is a bit too early to try national scale, if for no other reason,
the energy isn't 
great enough yet.  Cohousing is still very experimental, and we don't really
understand what we have, nor what we are doing yet.  We are still in the
prototype stage, and have several models and approaches, all valid, all
working." 

Hmmmmm, Rob, I agree it probably *isn't* time for some vast sweeping PR
blitzkrieg, but I wonder if the fledgling movement couldn't sponsor more
diverse models:  For instance, could we consciously and collectively fund an
experiment in cohousing in a "poor" neighborhood.

What if each coho group would budget say, $10,000 out of it's construction
fund to put in a fund that would be granted to a neighborhood somewhere?  If
10-15 groups sent $10K each, that would be enough to purchase a boarded-up
building and some renovation.....

There are inner city groups that have ample "cooperative consciousness" who
could take such seed money and run with it -- for example the Ecovillage in
LA group that Lois Arkin is a spokesperson for.

This action would be a small sacrifice (a tiny part of a $1-4 mil
construction fund) that could model a whole new approach to community and a
highly effective alternative to the welfare system.

Anybody else got any juice for this idea?

How about talking about this at the coho conference, perhaps at the "Burning
Souls gathering?  

Mike M