Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: economic Class and Cohousing

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

Tony Rocco wrote about concerns of economic class in cohousing from the 
perspective of how a person of upper economic class would be viewed and 
treated by others.  In my experience at Sharingwood, where there is wide 
range in incomes, it has not been an issue.  The primary thing which has 
developed is an awareness of how others would be affected by costs has 
caused to do alternative funding for somethings rather than use assessments. 
 For example, rather than buy our chipper with an equal assessment on 
everyone, (which was agreed to) we set up a share system, people bought 
shares in the chipper instead.  THis was done in order that a couple of 
members who barely scrape by could get "off the hook" for paying for the 
Chipper.  This same approach has been done a few other times as well, and in 
some cases, things for the community are just purchased outright by someone, 
or by a small subset.  Last summer 4 partents went in together and bought a 
pool for the kids, although almost everyone at one time or another used it.

One of the important things about this in our community is that access is 
never restricted just to those who pay for something like this, it is open 
to all without question whether you paid a share or not.

If people build resentments because of each others economic class, I would 
suggest that some group process work is in order, and maybe some individual 
work as well.  If how you relate to your neighbor is influenced by their 
income, then, in my opinion, there is a problem which needs to be talked 
about.  And of course, every cohousing group varies in  how well they deal 
with stuff like this.  

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood