Cohousing-L Mailing List: Free-Riders & Cohousing

[balaji (balaji]

Dear Cohousing Friends:

How do cohousing communities define and deal with the problem of
"free-riders?"

Free-riders are usually defind as those who benefit from collective action
without contributing to it.  A common example of a free rider problem is
defense spending: no one person can be excluded from being defended by a
state's military forces, and thus free riders may refuse or avoid paying
for being defended, even though they are still as well guarded as those
who contribute to the state's efforts. Therefore, it is usual for
governments to avoid relying on volunteer donations, using taxes and, in
some countries, conscription instead.

In cohousing, the problem of free-riders could arise over issues of common
house maintenance; preparing food; tending garden spaces; participating in
decision-making; and a host of other issues.

Has your community encountered this problem?  Have you put in place
mechansims for handling it?


Thank you for your responses!


Charles W. Nuckolls
Utah Valley Commons
www.utahvalleycommons.com
Provo, UT