Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Small business and shared resources questions

[Greg Dunn (MyLists]

Rhea:

I'm sure you'll get responses from people with a great deal more
experience and knowledge of cohousing than me, but we seem to agree on
some other things, I'll give you my two cents' worth of encouragement.
8-)  The apparent canonical definition of cohousing specifies that

        The community is not a primary income source for residents. 
        There is no shared community economy (ala Twin Oaks): If the 
        community provides residents with their primary income, this 
        is a significant change to the dynamic between neighbors and 
        defines another level of community beyond the scope of
cohousing.

For an example of shared community economies, see the referenced
community, Twin Oaks, at http://www.twinoaks.org/;  or Earthaven at
http://earthaven.org/homepage.htm; or the other three community links at
http://www.communitymade.com/.

But what you're asking about is something different.  Working from home
seems to be fairly commonplace in cohousing communities, at least those
I've come to know about in the SF Bay area (of course, working from home
is pretty commonplace generally in the Bay Area); and I've definitely
heard mention of coops that rent out office space and what-not to
residents. A new coop going up north of SF presents an entire block of
shops along one of its external faces. Although this was done to satisfy
city requirements for development of that particular property rather
than with a view to making income, coop residents have decided to
purchase a controlling ownership in the storefronts. These are likely to
be leased primarily to people outside the cohousing community.

And of course, even if it weren't cohousing by someone's strict
definition - which, as I say, I think it is - it could still be
something else. All you need is a group of people who agree upon some
arrangement.

Having said the latter, I would like to add that I do rather appreciate
that canonical definition of cohousing specified by Katie McCamant and
Charles Durrett, who coined the term "cohousing".  It makes it clear,
among other things, that a community need not be a commune or ashram to
provide an alternative to single-family housing.

Greg Dunn
 


-----Original Message-----
From: cohousing-l-admin [at] cohousing.org
[mailto:cohousing-l-admin [at] cohousing.org] On Behalf Of Honeysuckles
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 12:30 AM
To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org
Subject: [C-L]_Small business and shared resources questions



Greetings  : )

My family and I are cohousing wannabes in South Central Alaska.  There
are so many aspects of cohousing we are attracted to, but as we work
through our overall vision and primary goals, we're wondering if some of
the things we don't want to give up are even compatible with cohousing.
We'd love some input on the following:

How have small business (out of the home) been handled?  In particular,
artist/shop space, where the activities are not hobby but the family's
primary source of income?  (Individual shop/studio space on the family's
own land, community shop, or ?)

What kinds of farming activities, and how have they been handled by the
community?  Two things here - when animals are kept on common land for
personal use such as horses and chickens, and when animals are also a
source of income, such as sheep.

If one derives economic benefit from community resources, how does one
compensate the community, or is it even an issue?  As an example, the
community has 20 acres set aside as pasture and you're not just grazing
your horse but raising animals to sell.

Have any communities dealt with these issues, and can you share how it
was handled?

Thank you ever so much,
Rhea
in Alaska, looking to cohomestead on 160 acres or more, with other
wonderful people.  (Email me for more info!)

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