Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: [C-L] Median or mode, Wealth & Poverty [was What is wealth?]

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 4/07/2003 7:15 PM, "Forbes Jan" <jan.forbes [at] dhhs.tas.gov.au> wrote:

> You're citing just one definition of wealth.  There are many.

Of course, there are many definitions of everything. The question here has
been how do we determine if cohousing is or can ever be anything more than
an upper middle class phenomenon because new homes are so expensive.

Out of that came questions about what is "wealthy" and what is "poor" in
terms of income and ability to live in cohousing. Who makes those
determinations? What is affordable?

In that context -- building, converting and buying a cohousing  unit -- the
standard income and wealth estimates are the ones banks work with, not how
happy you are sitting under a tree.

I don¹t think we have found all the numbers we need in order to reach any
conclusions about cohousing but the numbers of renters living in cohousing
may be some indication that the communities themselves are not constituted
of only high income individuals or even people who are driven by the need to
have a high income. Other determinants of class -- education, etc. -- may
still justify the "upper middle class" epithet, but income may or may not.
As well as one's definition of "high" income.

(I changed the subject line back so we can track the discussion in context.)

Sharon
-- 
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org

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