Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Low cost housing

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On May 13, 2008, at 4:45 PM, Brian Bartholomew wrote:

> The final outcome?  The INTERNAL zoning of the coho, which was
> entirely within our control, decided they would not tolerate "Katrina
> cottages" next to their bigger houses.  The objection was, 'I'm not
> investing $XXXK over YY years to live next to a Katrina cottage.'

This is why I think low cost cohousing has to be built with the whole  
community as low cost housing because in the end it affects resale  
values to have a $350,000 house next to a $60,000 house, no matter how  
nice it is. Since most people who buy homes that expensive are also  
carrying huge mortgages. They can't afford a home that is worth less  
than the mortgage,  even if the bank loans them money for it in the  
first place.

Low cost housing requires particular zoning, etc., that may not apply  
to larger single family homes, and the rest of the group will have its  
own challenges caused by wanting larger, more expensive homes.

The reason I prefer "low cost" housing to "low income" housing, is  
that not everyone who wants low cost housing is "low income."

Some people just don't want to be house poor, or they want to be more  
environmentally conscious and live lighter on the land. Or they are  
saving because they want to retire at 50 and travel. People have all  
kinds of goals and many of them do not include big houses.

I know a young man who wants to be independently wealthy by the age of  
30. To achieve this he lives with almost no housing costs and has a  
web based business so he doesn't need a car and doesn't have commuting  
expenses. He is 24 and says he is on target. Is he low income?

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