Cohousing-L Mailing List: RMCA's Cohousing video tape

[Diane Simpson (dqs]

>------------------------------
>Now that we are gearing up to recruit for Homewood Cohousing **
>I'm thinking of sending off for the tape but decided to solicit
>reviews here.  I presume it covers only new construction cohousing.
>I also wonder if it covers the special challenges of cohousing in very
>urban settings.
>Fred
>Fred H. Olson  fholson [at] tc.umn.edu
>(612)588-9532  Amateur radio: WB0YQM      List manager of:
>Cohousing-L  See http://www.cohousing.org/    and
>Twin Cities Neighborhood issues list. See http://freenet.msp.mn.us/
>------------------------------

Fred--I've had the tape for five months now, and I find it to be an
excellent overall introduction to the cohousing concept. I've shown it at
the local library and at our group meetings. It's only 22 minutes long,
plenty long enought to explain cohousing but not so long that people get
bored or jittery. Plus, the interviews themselves are lively and
interesting. The vast majority of the tape consists of interviews. They
interview old people, they interview kids, they interview middle-aged
people. They also keep in the negative things that people say. One woman
said she would have liked a little more privacy when she was going through
a divorce. Another woman said she had hoards of people over her house all
the time (but that was her own fault--she invited them all there! She had
to learn to set limits.)

I've watched the tape three or four times and I cannot recall having seen
any examples of urban cohousing. Also, since it is an overall introduction
to the concept for people who've never heard of cohousing, it never gets
into the nitty-gritty of how you actually go about creating a cohousing
community, or how much it costs. There's one shot of a meeting and someone
saying "There's lots of meetings!" but there's no discussion of group
process or what a group really needs to know in order to be able to work
together effectively, or what is the definition of a "core group."

But I think those are small cavils considering the overall excellence of
the tape and the professionalism with which it was made. I would recommend
it without hesitation for your recruiting meetings.

Also, in case you're interested, Ann Zabaldo is the keeper of the cohousing
buttons. They're 3" across, purple and white, so they really show up. They
say "Ask Me About Cohousing" over a line art drawing of houses. They're
$1.00 each, plus shipping. Write to Ann in care of:
Az You Like It Cards
P.O. Box 1891
Washington, D.C. 20013-1891.

The phone number there is (202) 546-4654
While you're at it, order some cards! help keep Ann in business--she's a
great gal!

--------Diane;.)

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      @@@@        Diane Simpson  http://world.std.com/~dqs      @@@@
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