Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing Elitism

[BilodeauA (BilodeauA]

Carolyn wrote:

>This discussion is very interesting. I would like to add the >point that cost
is very much a factor in support of the >"cohousing is elitism" argument. I
have had to abandon my >dreams of participating in a cohousing  community
because >everything I've learned about it so far tells me that it  >matches or
exceeds the cost of conventional housing. I cannot, and likely never will be
able to, afford to live in such a >community. The irony is, when I first
learned about cohousing >I thought that, because it involved shared resources,
it would >be less expensive.

Someone on this list had observed that the generally excessive cost of housing
is not the fault of the cohousing movement.  That's certainly true.

 But Carolyn's situation suggests that it's not good to simply drop the issue
at that point.  I'd argue that any movement that doesn't address the cost of
housing is unlikely to create lasting communities. That's a heavy burden, of
course, but one worth taking up.  

Yes, I know that some communities have allowed for a few lower-income spots,
but I'm arguing that such is not enough if lots more people feel left out.
I'm not sure whether any communitarian ideal is worth having if it requires a
big income.

Yes, maybe affordable housing is a different long-term goal than co-housing.
But perhaps they can be integrated more closely?

- Anne Zieger