Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Paying for the common house

[James Kacki (jimkacki]

Hi Frank,
I don't have any answers to your question based on experience since I am 
not a member of a co-housing group.  I'm an architect who has been very 
interested in co-cousing as a concept for a couple of years now and 
follow the conversations on this list quite faithfully, asking questions 
and providing input where I can.  I have designed a prototype co-housing 
development for on a site in central Winnipeg for MHRC (Manitoba Housing 
& Renewal Corp.), a provincial govt. agency, who was interested in 
developing a piece of property they own as 'affordable housing'.  Since 
there is a Winnipeg group exploring the idea of co-housing, I developed 
a co-housing plan on the site as one option.  I think co-housing is a 
fantastic concept and congratulate you for pursuing the idea.  I wish 
you all the luck in the world and am somewhat envious of you and your 
group and your embarking on this wonderful journey.
My answer to your question (from a non-members perspective) is that the 
cost of the common house should be shared equally between all households 
(households, not individual members, would be fairest, it seems).  If 
you as a group form a legal entity, that entity could take on the 
mortgage, with monthly payments shared equally. This answer may or may 
not help you, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents worth :-)
I have a couple of questions for you also.

1) Your group name is "Common Ground".  Are you connected to the Common 
Ground religious movement?  There is a 'Common Ground' group in 
Winnipeg, that is a community based on religious (Christian) principles.

2) You mentioned getting a developer, but you didn't mention whether or 
not you had a plan for that developer to build.  I would suggest 
developing your own plan (site plan, housing floor plans etc.) before 
hiring a developer.  Developers are purely profit oriented.  You may or 
may not need one. (Discussions on this topic have been animated on this 
list-serv).  But whether or not you get a developer, I think its best to 
work closely with an architect (preferably one in your area) who is 
familiar with co-housing concept, and develop your own plans.  Then you 
can hire a developer, if you think you need one, to get it built for 
you.  This keeps control of the concept and the future living 
environment in your own hands.
These are just some comments offered as food for thought.  You have 
obviously given it a whole lot of thought yourselves to get this far.
Once again, I wish you luck and every success!!!
James Kacki

Frank Antonsen wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm on the finance committee of the Common Ground cohousing group
> in Ottawa, Ontario. We've been meeting for close to three years
> and are getting to the point of hiring a developer to build our
> 20-25 unit cohousing community.
>
> We wonder how other cohousing groups have dealt with the issue of
> how to divide the construction costs of the common house between
> the households.
>
> We would appreciate it if any of you could share your experience
> with us.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Frank Antonsen
> Common Ground Cohousing Association
> Ottawa, Ontario
> Canada
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