Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Group Size

[Elizabeth Stevenson (tamgoddess]

We have 25 households and about 35 adult members, so I don't think your 
numbers are wildly disproportionate to the rest of cohousing. I think there
tend to be alot of single adults, since they are more in "need" of
community, and single parents like the support they get here. (Sometimes
just knowing there are other grown-ups around is so important.)

Also, I think there is another factor that people don't readily see. A group
is not going to say they don't like their size once they have invested alot
in the group. A large group isn't going to say "we wish several of you
weren't here" to each other, even though they might respond to a survey and
say their common house is too institutional. I've noticed that whatever the
size, the people on this list tend to say that they think it is perfect for
them. I don't think group size matters if they have good relationships and a
healthy process. But people could be blinded by idealism when there is a
real problem with a group being too large or small to attain their goals,
like picking a site or affording a common house.

--
Liz Stevenson
Southside Park Cohousing
Sacramento, California

tamgoddess [at] home.com
http://members.home.net/southsideparkcohousing

----------
>From: Sharon Villines <sharonvillines [at] prodigy.net>
>To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
>Subject: [C-L]_Group Size
>Date: Thu, Apr 26, 2001, 7:06 AM
>

>> - Groups with between 15 and 25 households find the common facilities more
>> affordable, enjoy the variety of members. - Groups with more than 25
>> households tend to find the common facilities institutionalised, the design
>> subdivided and the achievement of consensus harder.
>
> At Takoma Village we have 43 units but only 53 adult members. There are
> another 2-3 adults who participate to some extent in the community that many
> of think of as members.
>
> Our children are small and do not participate in decision making. We are on
> the verge of a hoped for baby-boom but babies take some time to get to the
> meeting stage.
>
> I'm curious how this relates in people-numbers to other groups of 15 or 25
> households. Since we have so many single adults it is hard to compare
> numbers.
>
> Sharon
> --
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> Where we are working out our first budget, using the dishwasher for the
> first time, preparing for the ribbon cutting ceremony with various
> government officials in attendance, cutting the grass for the first time,
> feeling the peace and quiet of having the construction crew not on site, and
> figuring out how to store 40 bicycles with a bike room that holds 9.
>
>
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