Cohousing-L Mailing List: Affordability

[David Liset (dliset]

I haven't had time to read all the daily lists, but I thought that I would add 
another affordability idea, and hope that it isn't redundant.

Consideration might be given to incorporating a cemetary as part of the grounds.
A monument housing ashes could be created as an art piece or as a terrace wall 
for the common grounds.  This would leave the land open for common use, and 
could conceivably even remove the common space from the tax rolls.  Around here,
the cost of a plot is around $600 for a 4X10 foot plot (or 6X10, I don't 
recall).  But the total revenue of what would be one normal city lot approaches 
the average cost of a house and lot in this area.

The revenue for niches may be less, but if you kept your prices at that level 
(or adjusted for your local area), with the idea that the benefit would go to 
make some affordable housing, then, not only does co-housing connect the 
generations but also goes even further in integrating a community.  I expect 
that it would not only be residents who would be interested.

Of course there is the problem of people not wanting to live next to a cemetary 
which would have to be addressed.  But on the other hand there is nothing 
inherently natural about burying the dearly departed 20 miles away.