Cohousing-L Mailing List: Affordable Rental Cohousing grand opening tomorrow (Sebastopol, CA): Petaluma Avenue Homes

[Raines Cohen (rc3-coho-L]

Katie asked me to spread the word about this event midday tomorrow in
Sebastopol (CA).

Given all the discussion here lately about affordable rental
cohousing, here's a chance to meet some folks who have actually done
it and learn what it actually took.

I won't be at this event, as I'll be traveling with the Culver Way
EcoVillage (Metro Cohousing in St. Louis, MO) folks to visit Three
Trails cohousing (Independence, MO) and Delaware Street Commons
(Lawrence, KS) but Betsy might be able to make it. We were there for
the groundbreaking, and impressed with the location and plans.
--Raines

--

Affordable Housing Associates (a long-established nonprofit affordable
housing developer based in Berkeley, CA)
invites you to the Grand Opening of
Petaluma Avenue Homes
with Cohousing Co. (McCamant & Durrett) architects, developer,
financiers, city officials, and others participating
11 AM - 1 PM

(full invite with photos and a link to the developer's site at East
Bay Cohousing's MeetUp group, free to join):
http://www.ebcoho.org/calendar/10383744/

Come celebrate the opening of the first affordable rental cohousing
community in Northern California.

Petaluma Avenue Homes is an affordable cohousing community in
Sebastopol, CA. There are 45 units of 1- and 2-bedroom apartments plus
3-bedroom townhomes.

Rents (per Affordable Housing Associates website, subject to change
annually based on Area Median Income and other factors) range from
$437 to $1,213 per month based on apartment size and household income
level. (income limits apply). Minimum annual income is as low as
$10,488. Maximum combined household income ranges from $32,700 for 1
person, $37,320 for 2, up to $57,900 for a 7-person household.

Apartment Features

Granite countertops
Natural linoleum floors
Natural maple cabinets
Ceiling fan
Garbage disposal
2 bathrooms (3br only)
Dishwasher (2br and 3br only)

Property Features

Near downtown Sebastopol
Large common house with:

Dining room
Commercial-style kitchen
Laundry room
Computer room
Kids play room
Community garden
Large lawn
Play area
Bike parking
Parking located around the property, keeping the inner area safe

Note from Raines:

Sebastopol is in Sonoma County; North San Francisco Bay Area, a lovely
little town "off the freeway" just enough to have some character, and
I believe now the California community with the most cohousing per
capita and tied with Davis for number of established cohousing
neighborhoods, and leading in affordable cohousing, with a
sweat-equity homeowner project across town, the 20-unit Sequoia
Village, quietly completed by Burbank Homes this year. It is in the
heart of the North Bay's "cohousing belt", with one cohousing
community in each adjacent town/city to the North, East, and South,
and forming communities with sites the next town over North and East.

There are no openings at Petaluma Avenue homes at this time (as far as
we know), this is just the official public "ribbon-cutting" completion
ceremony. We'd love for any interested cohousers in the area to
participate and report back on the feel of the place, the community
amenities, and how they are going to keep the sense of group
solidarity alive for people often struggling with basic
survival/shelter issues. The developer has engaged Eris Weaver from
nearby FrogSong cohousing in Cotati, an experienced group facilitator
and trainer, to work with the community and provide group development
services.

---
Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach http://www.CohousingCoach.com/
facilitating a discussion with Metro Cohousing at Culver Way
EcoVillage members about the power of stories and how to effectively
"bloom and grow" the community

Northern California Cohousing regional organizer
organizing an "Aging In Community" table at the Maker Faire in San
Mateo May 29-30

Co-author, Audacious Aging
working hard to weave together the "Aging In Community" movement