Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re:USA Today Article/low cost

[Judy (BAXTER]

Robert Schrader wrote: (july 16)
<<I'm a refugee from a failed attempt at cohousing here in San Diego in 89/90.
It was promoted partly as low-cost and partly as community-oriented.

We had one member who owned several developable acres, and lots of people
interested, but when the time came for all of the other members to put up
money, the *majority* could not produce their share.  The whole venture
then collapsed.

Promoting cohousing as low-cost recruits too many who are financially
marginal.  The whole project is then on shaky ground from the start.
All it takes to collapse it is one big stumpling block -- in our case
it was the 1990 recession.
>>

I think the key here is *realistic* financial information, which is really hard
to get and believe. And it's hard to allow enough for the unknowns.  There's
lots of discussion in the archives, I think.  Finding good help can also be
challenging.  

I do agree with Robert-

<<Please note that I am not trying to say that cohousing is not low cost,
nor am I trying to disparage the efforts of those who have made it so.
I simply think that we should be thankful that USA-Today did not mention it.>>

that we should not promote cohousing as easily or typically low cost, but it
*can* be moderate cost, with a lot of work, I think. And again, it depends on
your model.  If you can follow N Street, that's a different story.

Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community,(MoCoCo) Twin Cities Area, Mpls.,MN
-- e-mail:      baxter [at] epivax.epi.umn.edu
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