Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: communal housing

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

Barbara wrote

IMO, "communal
living" offers the potential for "community," not *just because of the 
living
together, but also because of the potential for saving money and working
less in the corporate jobs people usually work to make enough money to
buy houses in middle-class neighborhoods.  The potential for a life that
revolves around community rather than work.

There seems to be a growing number of communally owned homes happening, at 
least in the Seattle area.  I have gotten a number of calls from folks, 
after an article I ran in Community Resources, about folks who either are, 
or want to share home ownership. There are simple partnership arrangements 
which can set up for sharing ownership and there seems to be significant 
benefits. 

 The disadvantage of course is how to settle out peoples shares when they 
leave, although this can set up so the person who is leaving is responsible 
for selling of their share. Another question of course is compatability 
which can be tested for by leasing first. It is unfortunate that it is 
currently illegal for unrelated adults to live in the same house under some 
of the local zoning codes.  Although this is seldom ever enforced, it can 
still be a deterant to co-ownership, although a simple corporate stucture 
can outmanuever these dumb laws.

At Sharingwood we have a group house for sale that would work really well 
for co-ownership within the communty.

Rob Sandelin
Northwest Intentional Communities Association