Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common House Use

[Alexander Robin A (alexande.robi]

In any cohousing that I'm involved with, my preference is that the primary 
purpose of the Common House is to facilitate and foster community and 
connection among the members of the cohousing and, in some cases, the larger 
community. I would like that to be the guiding principle behind any use policy. 
If "private" uses of the CH can be accommodated without compromising that 
primary purpose, I think that's fine. The problem is that the line between 
problematic usage and non-problematic usage is a fuzzy one. How many private 
workshops are too many? Many such questions arise. Perhaps it would be helpful 
to treat private usage as a privilege that might sometimes be grated rather 
than a right (unless the CH is built specifically to accommodate private 
businesses and groups as well as community activities). Then one can ask 
whether any activity or pattern of activities is significantly interfering with 
communal use and purpose.
 
Robin A

________________________________

From: Kathleen Heft Nolan [mailto:kathleennolan [at] bellcoho.com]
Sent: Tue 2/20/2007 8:18 PM
To: Cohousing-L
Subject: [C-L]_ Common House Use



We are reviewing our common house use agreements and have encountered strong
feelings on all sides, especially with regard to two areas: money and
privacy.

Money: should members be able to make money in the common house, whether
they are supporting themselves, commercial business, hosting a workshop with
a fee, or fundraising for non-profit organizations.

Privacy: should members be able to reserve all or a portion of the
commonhouse and ask others to provide privacy so that they can host
gatherings that are confidential in nature or cannot be disturbed.

We invite you to share your experiences with these and other common house
use issues, including sample agreements/policies.

Will share ours to those interested, when updated.

Thanks, Kathleen Heft Nolan
Bellingham Cohousing, Washington


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