Cohousing-L Mailing List: defining the cohousing principle

[Victoria (victoria]

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Dear All,

March says "Sometimes doing something yourself IS the cheaper way to
go....our community has saved lots by having members willing to do
tremendous amounts of work for no pay, of course."   I apologize because =
I
was unclear.  When I said we needed to talk about 'affordability', I =
didn't
just mean money, I meant time too.  I think many deserving Americans are
impoverished for time and that makes it difficult for them to be =
involved in
building cohousing.  You are certainly right that sweat equity is ideal, =
if
you have enough people with time, energy and ability.

"Two of our members are single moms without divorce settlements or much =
of
any outside support....and they were around for much of the development =
of
the community.  It can happen!"  I'm happy to hear it.  I understand =
that
there are always exceptions to generalities.  Personally, I know a TON =
of
single moms, and I would say that the norm is to be strapped for time =
and
cash, making participation in a lengthy development process not an =
option.
Maybe YOU can say that the exhausted mom on the couch who works 2 jobs =
and
has 4 kids could really find the time if she wanted to.  Personally, if =
she
tells me she it too tired, I believe her.  It makes sense to me.  (Maybe =
her
choices in the past were unwise even, maybe not.  But even if they were, =
I'm
interested in solutions to the problems in front of her now.)  =
Exceptions to
the rule are fascinating.  I LOVE that Whoppi Goldberg used to be a =
welfare
mom.  But I see this as a little besides the point in a discussion like
this.

"I think it is easy to target "upper-class white people"  I don't see =
that I
was targeting anyone.  Is it targeting anyone to say that cohousing as =
it
currently stands will be inaccessible to most people?  That's my main =
point.
I want to see cohousing save the world!  (It WOULD be nice, admit it! ; =
)

"Too often I think the tendency  is to assume that people who are "poor" =
are
that way purely by accident or no fault of their own.  While admitting =
that
our society can make it very hard for people to break out of poverty, I =
know
(from my own life) that if you set your mind to doing something you can
almost always succeed."

One could argue your point at length here, about everyone being able to =
do
almost anything,  but I'll try to resist.  There are barriers that are =
hard
to see, for example institutional racism.  Think how hard it was 30 =
years
ago for a woman to become a doctor or a rock guitarist.  Lots of hard =
work
has gone into making it easier for women to achieve, and our numbers in
previously all male fields reflect it  Similarly, our culture continues =
to
block the participation of the have nots into the world of the haves.  I
know tons of needy people, largely because of my line of work. I see =
that
cohousing would serve the needs of so many families.  But our culture =
has
barriers that makes it inaccessible to most.

The question "How can we get  people to build more cohousing in the way =
that
we are currently doing it?"  interests me less than the question  "How =
can
we make the wonderful essentials of cohousing life as accessible as
possible?"  By looking at the latter we can examine barriers, such as =
little
time and money, and how to overcome them.  The reason I think this is
important is that if we can figure out what the essentials are, we are =
more
likely to include lots more people in the cohousing movement.  More =
happy
people.  A better world.  Hooray!

John Solso says "I believe cohousing can be well-designed, sweat-equity,
no-frills, no-developer and low-cost."  GREAT.  Tell how busy working =
people
can be involved too.  In case you're going to tell me they need to quit
their jobs, please don't. Tell me how the typical single working parent =
can
be involved in creating cohousing in the current model of taking 5 years
plus to build, inflating the costs of the units.

Vicky Leary
Trillium Hollow
Portland, Oregon








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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear All,<BR><BR>March says "Sometimes =
doing=20
something yourself IS the cheaper way to<BR>go....our community has =
saved lots=20
by having members willing to do<BR>tremendous amounts of work for no =
pay, of=20
course."&nbsp;&nbsp; I apologize because I<BR>was unclear.&nbsp; When I =
said we=20
needed to talk about 'affordability', I didn't<BR>just mean money, I =
meant time=20
too.&nbsp; I think many deserving Americans are<BR>impoverished for time =
and=20
that makes it difficult for them to be involved in<BR>building =
cohousing.&nbsp;=20
You are certainly right that sweat equity is ideal, if<BR>you have =
enough people=20
with time, energy and ability.<BR><BR>"Two of our members are single =
moms=20
without divorce settlements or much of<BR>any outside support....and =
they were=20
around for much of the development of<BR>the community.&nbsp; It can=20
happen!"&nbsp; I'm happy to hear it.&nbsp; I understand that<BR>there =
are always=20
exceptions to generalities.&nbsp; Personally, I know a TON of<BR>single =
moms,=20
and I would say that the norm is to be strapped for time and<BR>cash, =
making=20
participation in a lengthy development process not an option.<BR>Maybe =
YOU can=20
say that the exhausted mom on the couch who works 2 jobs and<BR>has 4 =
kids could=20
really find the time if she wanted to.&nbsp; Personally, if she<BR>tells =
me she=20
it too tired, I believe her.&nbsp; It makes sense to me.&nbsp; (Maybe=20
her<BR>choices in the past were unwise even, maybe not.&nbsp; But even =
if they=20
were, I'm<BR>interested in solutions to the problems in front of her =
now.)&nbsp;=20
Exceptions to<BR>the rule are fascinating.&nbsp; I LOVE that Whoppi =
Goldberg=20
used to be a welfare<BR>mom.&nbsp; But I see this as a little besides =
the point=20
in a discussion like<BR>this.<BR><BR>"I think it is easy to target =
"upper-class=20
white people"&nbsp; I don't see that I<BR>was targeting anyone.&nbsp; Is =
it=20
targeting anyone to say that cohousing as it<BR>currently stands will be =

inaccessible to most people?&nbsp; That's my main point.<BR>I want to =
see=20
cohousing save the world!&nbsp; (It WOULD be nice, admit it! ; =
)<BR><BR>"Too=20
often I think the tendency&nbsp; is to assume that people who are "poor" =

are<BR>that way purely by accident or no fault of their own.&nbsp; While =

admitting that<BR>our society can make it very hard for people to break =
out of=20
poverty, I know<BR>(from my own life) that if you set your mind to doing =

something you can<BR>almost always succeed."<BR><BR>One could argue your =
point=20
at length here, about everyone being able to do<BR>almost =
anything,&nbsp; but=20
I'll try to resist.&nbsp; There are barriers that are hard<BR>to see, =
for=20
example institutional racism.&nbsp; Think how hard it was 30 =
years<BR>ago for a=20
woman to become a doctor or a rock guitarist.&nbsp; Lots of hard =
work<BR>has=20
gone into making it easier for women to achieve, and our numbers=20
in<BR>previously all male fields reflect it&nbsp; Similarly, our culture =

continues to<BR>block the participation of the have nots into the world =
of the=20
haves.&nbsp; I<BR>know tons of needy people, largely because of my line =
of work.=20
I see that<BR>cohousing would serve the needs of so many families.&nbsp; =
But our=20
culture has<BR>barriers that makes it inaccessible to most.<BR><BR>The =
question=20
"How can we get&nbsp; people to build more cohousing in the way =
that<BR>we are=20
currently doing it?"&nbsp; interests me less than the question&nbsp; =
"How=20
can<BR>we make the wonderful essentials of cohousing life as accessible=20
as<BR>possible?"&nbsp; By looking at the latter we can examine barriers, =
such as=20
little<BR>time and money, and how to overcome them.&nbsp; The reason I =
think=20
this is<BR>important is that if we can figure out what the essentials =
are, we=20
are more<BR>likely to include lots more people in the cohousing =
movement.&nbsp;=20
More happy<BR>people.&nbsp; A better world.&nbsp; Hooray!<BR><BR>John =
Solso says=20
"I believe cohousing can be well-designed, sweat-equity,<BR>no-frills,=20
no-developer and low-cost."&nbsp; GREAT.&nbsp; Tell how busy working=20
people<BR>can be involved too.&nbsp; In case you're going to tell me =
they need=20
to quit<BR>their jobs, please don't. Tell me how the typical single =
working=20
parent can<BR>be involved in creating cohousing in the current model of =
taking 5=20
years<BR>plus to build, inflating the costs of the units.<BR><BR>Vicky=20
Leary<BR>Trillium Hollow<BR>Portland,=20
Oregon<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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