Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Alternatives for creating inexpensive homes...

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Dec 28, 2003, at 3:07 PM, Elizabeth Cobb wrote:

> I don't like the idea of cohousing being just another way of privileged
> Americans making sure to get "their" piece of the pie -- but in a way 
> that
> enables them to feel good about themselves (hence the ideal of 
> community) --
> while the vast majority in America (let alone the world) continue 
> living
> under-housed or unhoused, and unseen (so that the rest of us don't see 
> the
> fallacy in the "american dream,"  and don't need to feel guilty...  
> This
> seeming to be the case, I don't want to become a part of a movement 
> that de
> facto puts me into the camp of the "haves," and separates me from the 
> have
> nots...

This is a general concern in cohousing. It certainly isn't true in our 
community. Even though we look like a "regular" condo, we have many 
units that were subsidized by a bond program and many of us qualify for 
homestead tax exemptions.

In DC there is a bond program to encourage homeownership so low income 
households could buy homes with _no_ down-payment and below market 
interest rates. But we did have to have deposits so the developer could 
get a construction loan. Fortunately we had members who were able to 
make loans to other members to pay those deposits. We have several 
members who would not have been able to buy apartments otherwise.

A greater requirement than money in cohousing is a general level of 
understanding and tolerance for all that is involved in real estate 
development. No matter what kind of building you do, it is hard. 
Putting up a structure that meets code and will still be standing in 10 
years is no small feat.

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

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