Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Seeking Cohousing in Cleveland, Ohio

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Jan 13, 2005, at 6:59 AM, Cindy Murphy wrote:

> I would like to find people who are interested in
> developing a cohousing community in the Cleveland
> Heights-University Heights area of Cleveland, Ohio. I
> don't know where to begin. Can you help me?

You will get lots of ideas on this -- each one will work in some 
instances. Basically you have to try everything. Things that have 
worked for communities I've been connected to:

1. Flyers distributed on bulletin boards in food coops, chiropractors 
offices, Whole Foods, and Unitarian Churches. Give a brief description 
of cohousing, a contact number, and a meeting time and place. Never 
underestimate the power of a flyer placed in a cohousing friendly 
place. People want cohousing and community -- they just need to make 
the connection.

2. Get a local paper, even a neighborhood paper, to do a piece on 
cohousing that includes your contact information. Get on a radio talk 
show. Ask someone already living with in cohousing to appear or be 
interviewed with you.

3. Publish your meeting time on this list. The cohousing network is 
huge. Even if there is only one person who has a friend in Cleveland 
looking for cohousing (and there are bound to be more that one) you 
will have made contact with a potential cohouser.

4. List your community as "forming" at the cohousing website. VERY 
IMPORTANT.

None of these things are expensive and the majority of communities have 
found that the expensive solutions (marketing consultants, fancy 
brochures, mailings), if they work at all, do not work well enough for 
them to break even. Word of mouth is the best marketing tool you have.

Good luck!

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