Cohousing-L Mailing List: On affordability

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

Sue Ann (a pseudonym) is the name I chose for the writer of the message
below. She chose not to be identified but as subscriber will see replies.
It was posted by Fred the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> 
--------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------

I am interested in cohousing as an option for community building and 
land/resource conservation/renewability.  I have looked into this for 
about 3 years. 

So far I have been alone in thinking about brownfield cleanup and 
construction in possibly inner city.  This can include townhouse or 
split level apartments with a community garden and common house.  With 
strawbale construction.  My aim was to look at making homes cost as 
little as possible... say 30,000 to 60,000 range.  It is doable.. 
requires research, grant writing, lobbying and perhaps partnership 
with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations... I realized at 
this stage in my life I may not have the resource it takes to do so.  
If anyone is interested in exploring grant writing/brownfield 
construction please post.  I'd love to hear.

I am in fact attending a first time home buying seminar today for low 
to moderate income folk, in the traditional route... had to give in to 
that after realizing that co-housing will be a concept at this point 
and may work better later.  I am also a person of color and it is 
interesting, what comes up for all of us in just trying to look at 
coming together and living in more simplicity and abundance of 
relationships.