Cohousing-L Mailing List: Ownership not necessary [was: Other communities

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

On Tue, 8 Apr 2003, Rob Sandelin wrote:

> There is a sort of class issue about cohousing, because its private home
> ownership, that offers a certain level of middle-class niceness and
> conformity. We want the house in the suburbs, with nice kitchens and our own
> reserved parking space, and we don't want to share a bathroom thank you very
> much. This is not a bad thing, but it is a definition. And  it seems people
> who can't afford the nicely laid out, architect designed, multi-million
> dollar model of community are not interested in living where they share a
> house. So that is the choice they make, as if cohousing were the only way,
> and since I can't do that, we will live alone instead.

I guess Rob is talking about what exists / predominates in the US not what
could be.  There is nothing about the definition of cohousing that
precludes something other than the owner occupied model.  A housing coop
could be cohousing if the goals of and facilities for community building
are priorities for coop members.  Cohousing could be more modest than most
US communites. 

Making a cohousing coop might be harder than typical current US cohousing
community to organize and the people to whom it would appeal might have
more limited money and time resources which would make it more of a
challenge.  Just because it does not exist does not mean it would not be
desireable to many.  There are many more cohousing 'wanabes' than there
are cohousing residents. 

Fred

--
Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411   (near north Mpls)
fholson [at] cohousing.org 612-588-9532 (7am-10pm Cent time)
List manager of Cohousing-L & Nbhd-tc  Ham radio:WB0YQM
http://www.cohousing.org/fholson


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