Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Keeping community when common house is built last

[Raymond D. Gasser (raygasser]

Here at EcoVillage at Ithaca, we had planned to have the common house
finished just after the houses were done, in mid January. The big fire here
changed that schedule a bit. 22 of the houses have been occupied since Jan,
and the last 8 will be completed between now and July. CH should be done in
July.
 
A couple of things we did are:
  Co-Laundry: set aside a day or 2 a week as co-laundry days, and everyone can
  descend on a local laundromat and take over every available washer and dryer
  for a couple of hours. Bring cards, board games, etc.

  Floating Common House: set aside a few time slots each week and have house-
  holds volunteer to host. Hosting just means making your house available for
  others to just drop in, knowing that others will also drop in. Hosts have no
  responsiblility to provide food, drinks, etc.; just a place (unless you want
  to have the hosts provide drinks or snacks. Up to you...). We set out a green
  light outside the place hosting the floating CH so everyone knew where it was.
  Schedule was usually for 2-3 hrs in the evenings, 3 days a week. But again,
  up to you...

  Co-Dining: set up a schedule for people to eat at other people's houses, 
  either pot-luck or host-prepared. Arrange it so people won't always be eating
  with the people they hang out with the most. Eat with the one's you know
  least (and even with those you don't like!).
 
Remember, these are the only options officially sanctioned by the Official
CoHousing Unusual Situation Sanctioning Body, so don't try any others or the
OCUSSB police will get you!!

Ray Gasser, EcoVillage At Ithaca
raygasser [at] delphi.com