Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Why cohousing should be mission driven to be resource efficient

[Hans Tilstra (hanstilstra]

Australia has a well established track record attempting to encourage the
highest percentage of home ownership in the western world possible. Whilst
this percentage is now in decline, it seems to simplify social housing to
some extent. Contrary to the Netherlands, there is no complex system of
rental subsidies, priority listings etc.

I recently met up with a social housing planner in the Department of Human
Services. He said that well intended government directed initiatives have
tried to coach very low income households into a mortgage. However, now he
discourages this as many of these households have not managed to sustain
repayments, retain clear ownership etc. I didn't feel that I had a strong
argument to entice a decision maker to allocate funds.

Where is the point of optimal return? Some households seem steady tenants,
others are very mobile, unsettled.
Are people on a pension a better bet for government support than students?

Hans Tilstra
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~cohouse
Imagination is the Voice of Daring