Cohousing-L Mailing List: Grants for low-income home ownership in Calif.

[David Mandel (dlmandel]

We can talk and talk about whether cohousing "should" be linked to struggles for
affordable and/or low-income housing without finding the true answer. Some think
the link should be made; others don't. ....

But meanwhile, any current or prospective cohousing organizers in California who
want to be able to include low-income people should know about a new state 
program,
CalHome, in which $40 million has been allocated for grants and loans to local
housing agencies and nonprofits to support development of home ownership
opportunities for low- and very low-income households. With local inclusionary
zoning ordinances (Sacramento just passed one) and mixed-income development more
and more in vogue, there should be great opportunities for planned development 
such
as cohousing, which has the potential of surmounting some of the social 
obstacles
inherent in mixed-income development.
    To see more details about the state program, go to
<http://www.hcd.ca.gov/ca/calhome/>, then get in touch with your local housing
authority and/or a nonprofit developer and write a plan.
    Anyone who would like some more advice on the subject, feel free to contact 
me.
I'm far from an expert but I may have some useful knowledge.
    And for those of you outside of California: I have a hunch we're not the 
only
ones, so ask and look around. I know that on the federal level, the Section 8
housing program now for the first time allows its funds to be used for 
ownership,
though I haven't heard of it being done yet and the read of low-income housing
people I've heard is that it would still be a stretch. But combined with other
programs, like this California one, it just might be workable.

David Mandel
Southside Park, Sacramento ...
    ... where we've encountered unanticipated dilemmas in trying to maintain
affordability when original residents of our subsidized units move on. That's
another story, but check in with us about it if you get serious about including
low-income units in your project and have the opportunity to participate in 
writing
the rules regarding future transfers.