Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Can anyone help the UK Cohousing Network?

[dahako (dahako]

 Hi -

I was a member involved during the developments of two developer-led cohousing 
groups, Eno Commons in Durham, North Carolina, and Eastern Village, in Silver 
Spring, Maryland.
Eastern Village Cohousing was a rapid Eco Housing project, and I think was the 
first US cohousing neighborhood to get a LEED Silver rating?.? 

My household was the second one to sign on at Eastern Village (by 43 seconds 
according to the bank receipt? ;>) .? The group of the first 25-30 households 
got no real input into the site selection (the developer was negotiating for 
the option as the group began forming), but we did get a lot of input into the 
common house and unit designs from very early on.? Maybe more than we needed, 
except for a really great common house charette.? Eco Housing hired the great 
Ann Zabaldo to help grow and train the membership group.? Even as a repeat, 
experienced cohouser and a development professional, I found her amazing to 
watch and be around (Thanks again, Ann!).? I would not recommend going as fast 
as Eastern Village did unless you build the cost of member training 
(facilitation, conflict management, consensus, and design charettes) into the 
total project costs.

The developer of Eno Commons was also a community member.? The development of 
Eno Commons was long, conflicted, and arduous. I bet there are still some 
messages in the archive of this list that will give some flavor of that time.? 
Or maybe Robert Heinich would like to comment? As a result of all the troubles, 
and the related facilitation and conflict resolution help we got, the group at 
Eno Commons was definitely tighter and more cohesive as a community at move in 
(in 1998), than the Eastern Village group was at move in (in 2004).? This may 
also have been partly because the group at Eno Commons was smaller, 22 total 
households with a core group of about 9 households shouldering most of the 
early load.? Eastern Village has 56 households.

Both groups had a mix of very involved, less involved, and not too involved 
members.? Quite a few people's involvement waxed and waned in both 
communities.? 

However, the post move-in process in both communities included a lot of the 
same shaking down issues around learning to live together.? Progeny, pets, 
privacy. . .(what are the other evil "P" words?.? We pretty much sidestepped 
"Paint" as a major issue in both communities.) Eastern Village had to acquire 
some trust and social skills after move-in that Eno Commons folks learned 
beforehand.

Still, within 3 years they were (are) both pretty strong communities where most 
members try to help each other through life, occasionally feed each other, 
wrestle with issues in a neighborly way.? Both communities refer to all the 
kids as "our kids".? As in, from a childless member, "Where do our kids catch 
the school bus?"? (Heard last week at EVC.)

The good news is, I think, that both ways work if you take a slightly longer 
view.

Jessie Handforth Kome
Eastern Village Cohousing
Silver Spring, Maryland
"Where one of our kids is having a birthday party in the common house tomorrow 
and everyone is invited."

(Disclaimer: The opinions I expressed are mine and in no way represent my 
employer.)


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Berger <sarahanneberger [at] googlemail.com>
Subject: [C-L]_ Can anyone help the UK Cohousing Network?



Three of us from the UK met several developers at the US Cohousing Association 
conference in Boston last month and learnt a lot about the developer-led model 
of building cohousing.  I am project coordinator of the UK Cohousing Network 
and 
any advice you could give our fledgling UK Cohousing Network would be very 
valuable. If you have experience of this approach we would really like to hear 
from you.

  a.. Did it mean the group felt less empowered and less engaged? 
  b.. How early did the group get involved in influencing design and was it 
enough? 
  c.. Did the no pain - no gain principle operate .ie. if the development 
process was quicker and smoother and therefore the group suffered less  did it 
mean group cohesion was weaker after move- in ? 
  d.. I presume the developer took the main financial risk during development. 
If so, were there any disadvantages for any of the parties with this model? 
Any other tips would be very gratefully received. Thanking you in anticipation.