Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Laid-off folks/other cooperative efforts

[Mmariner (Mmariner]

MelaSilva [at] aol.com said re experiences at Southside Park cohousing:

"A few loans are happening now, between individual people instead of the
whole community. Many times loans were offered without being asked. It is
much easier, and payback more flexible (sometimes being partially worked off)
between individuals rather than getting the whole community involved."


Thanks for your examples and analysis of the situation in your community.
 Sounds great -- trusting enough to loan non-family members significant
resources!  Do people extend the trust/cooperation to things like sharing the
purchase of vehicles,  boats,  campers, etc.?

Obviously the person-to-person loans work well when only one person
(household) is in need.  What if there's a downturn in the local (national,
world) economy and several people are dire straits to where the stability of
the community might be at risk?  Is that possibility worth preparing for,
e.g., creating  and paying into some group fund?  Or do you have some
sugardaddies or sugarmommas with bucks/assets to bail out folks living
paycheck to paycheck?


Other communities have similar experiences?  Please share.  I think stories
like this will be valuable for people contemplating coho as just a tad more
than a friendly condo complex.  (Realizing it's fine if that's all some folks
want -- viva diversity -- always!)


Mike M