Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Anti-Market System: intentional communities may be a better fit than cohousing

[King Collins (greenmac]

>Anti-capatalist rethoric is part and parcel of many intentional communities,
>some of which are completely off the grid, have no mortgages or other
>dealings with banks, grow their own food and create their own livihoods.
> For those folks who are so inclined, such places may be a better fit than
>cohousing.
>
>Cohousing, which in America and in Denmark is largely based on market rate
>private ownership, all requiring middle-class credentials, with all the
>implications, to be an owner.  There is government support which allows some
>individuals to stretch into the middle-class, but the ownership and class
>model is the same.

(snip)

>I network in both worlds, cohousing and intentional communities, and find
>there is a gap of perception between them, caused by incomes, ownership, and
>attitudes thereof.  I once got a suprisingly negative reaction from a fellow
>cohouser once when I referred to cohousing as an intentional community and I
>continually seem to be handicapped in the intentional communities world
>because I live in a cohousing community. I am middle-class and therefore
>suspect I guess.
>
>There is nothing to stop folks from building an off the grid, no mortgage,
>communally owned cohousing group.  If anyone ever  does, I suspect the
>meaning of cohousing will change and perhaps the lines of distinction may
>blur a little for some folks.

I think the distinctions are already blurred by the practice of retrofiting
existing structures. As the practice evolves so does the theory, which
belongs to everyone. The cooperative approach to living knows no
boundaries.

The problem of how to provide cooperative housing for everyone requires us
to think of a wide variety of solutions. Eventually this will have to
include cooperatively owned and managed businesses. Anyway, I expect that
for a lot of people, their cohousing venture is going to involve sweat
equity and working in cohousing-related or cooperative businesses.

>Rob Sandelin
>Puget Sound Cohousing Network
>Northwest Intentional Communities Association
>I hang out with both capalists and socialists - boy do they argue

Greenmac
296 Gardens Ave.
Ukiah, CA 95482
Voice: (707) 462-4543
   Fax: (707) 462-6873
   Net: greenmac [at] pacific.net