Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Regarding affordability and renting

[whitney beers (whitneybeers]

At Brindledorf we are primarily rental to expressly address affordability.  
Residents are generally here long term, but life in Montgomery County, 
Maryland, right outside of D.C. is incredibly expensive.  The houses in the 
neighborhood surrounding the community are standard 4 bedroom split levels 
built in the 80's, going for over a half million each.  Our 10 residents here 
each pay about $1000 a month total.  The original idea was to house teachers 
affordably in the area, since the school system is in severe need and no one on 
a teacher's salary can afford to buy in the area.  What the community attracted 
was a group of diverse people (1 teacher) interested in sharing their lives and 
resources with one another.  The first group in presented what we projected the 
lifestyle to be like, and the process became self selecting.  Unfortunately we 
don't promote ourselve like we should (but we will, we're getting it together), 
and so many who would benefit don't know about us.

Whitney.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Imbur <john_imbur [at] hotmail.com>
Sent: Nov 16, 2004 11:58 AM
To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org
Subject: [C-L]_ Regarding affordability...

I am new to the list and joined with the express purpose of trying to send
out information about a room to let in my house, but I have been fascinated
and drawn into the whole affordability question within the last few days,
before ever reading the ongoing thread with the reactions to the claims made
by Mr. Stambler.  Regardless of his other sentiments, as others have pointed
out, affordability is definitely a question that has plagued our community
here in Blacksburg and in other communities around the US.

What I have chosen to do (and this isn't for everyone) is to create a living
situation I like to call co-housing in co-housing.  By having my home act as
a group house in a co-housing community, I am making possible housing for
several individuals who are gaining great value and giving back great value,
but who are not at a place or a position to buy.  One of my tenants has in
fact bought a unit here in SLV, and used my affordably priced rental as a
stepping stone to that effect.  As a tenant he was on the facilitation team
and proved instrumental in a variety of issues ranging from pedway lighting
to broadband access for the entire community, as a member he has been even
more invaluable.

I have a single mother with two daughters moving into the two bedroom
basement unit I have and an Americorps volunteer moving into a bedroom
upstairs.  So all I have to say is there are a LOT (or at least potentially
a lot) of spaces for people in co-housing, perhaps just as renters and not
owners.  I choose to rent my spaces at below market rates, focusing on
getting not only people who would be great housemates and good for
Shadowlake Village.  To make this happen, I made a commitment during my
house design to build into the floorplans flexibility to accommodate a
variety of living situations, such that should I partner up and have a
family, I can grow into the rest of the house.

Don't know if that helps with the thread, but I think the idea that the only
people in co-housing (and the only way to get into a co-ho community) is to
buy is a false sentiment.  There are plenty of rental options depending on
the community, hopefully some that are intentionally priced affordably like
what I have in my own house.

Namaste,
John Imbur
E: john_imbur [at] hotmail.com
H: 540-961-1523
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Whitney Beers
Mabey Bridge & Shore, Inc.
443-790-3532
whitneybeers [at] mabey.com