Re: Attracting Seniors & Ethnic Minorities
From: Jim Snyder-Grant (jimsgnewview.org)
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 13:53:43 -0600 (MDT)
Thinking back on what worked & what didn't in terms of diversity at New
View, I'd like to introduce the concept of 'critical mass'. The feedback we
got sometimes was that either a prospective household didn't want to be the
first or only one of its 'type', or that one thing that helped a houshold
feel OK about pursuing joining was because there were other households 'like
them'. This is both for the visible & legally-protected categories of
diversity, as well as the other types of diversity people have mentioned:
family configuration, work style, age, etc.

So, if you are serious about some types of diversity, and your core group
currently doesn't have that type of diversity, I would recommend looking for
a block of new households to join your group, who will act as a magnet for
more diversity, as well as skilled consultants in what it will take to
create an inviting approach to more households like them. Getting this core
early enough also helps direct fundamental development decisions in overt &
covert ways that may help increase diversity. The converse is also true -
without an early diverse core, you may miss stuff. For example, if the core
is mostly non-parents, you may miss the importance of consistently &
enthusiastically arranging for shared child-care for meetings, and you may
drive away parents.

Looking back, I think the 'critical mass' question is what helped the most
in our search for age diversity & what got in the way the most in our search
for racial diversity.

-Jim Snyder-Grant
New View Cohousing at Half Moon Hill
Acton, MA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Catya Belfer-Shevett" <catya [at] homeport.org>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <cohousing-l [at] freedom2.mtn.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 10:43 AM
Subject: Attracting Seniors & Ethnic Minorities


> Hi all,
>
> In pursuit of diversity, we're looking to attract Seniors and ethnic
> minorities to our group (pre-land-search).  Anyone have any tips for us?
>
> - catya
>                               ____
> Catya Belfer-Shevett      ____\  /      Interested in
> catya [at] homeport.org        \  / \/      Cohousing in MA?
> www.homeport.org/~catya    \/       www.mosaic-commons.org
>
>

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