Cohousing-L Mailing List: Job Description for Members of Affordable Cohousing Task Group

[Grace Kim (grace]

Job Description for Members of Affordable Cohousing Task Group

 

Who: 

CohoUS is seeking persons interested in serving on the Affordable
Cohousing Task Group - see Charter attached for purpose and strategic
actions.  We invite people of diverse backgrounds to participate. 

 

We are looking for individuals passionate about incorporating
affordable/low income units into new and existing cohousing projects.
Previous knowledge/insights into the affordable housing arena is not
required, although it would be a plus.  

 

Members must have access to a computer for sharing/collaborating on
files. Members must be able to participate in long distance conference
calls every other week (however, if the cost of phone calls is a
financial burden keeping you from participating, please apply and let us
know so we can see if there is anyway we can alleviate/remove the
burden).  

 

Structure:

The Task Group will be chaired by CohoUS Board Member Grace Kim with
support from Board Member David Entin.  Jerome Garciano, legal counsel
to CohoUS, will also serve as an advisor to the Group.  We hope to have
about 12-17 additional members, which we hope will represent a broad
cross section (by geography, socioeconomic level, ethnicity, age, and
gender) of those who live in or might be interested in living in
cohousing.  This Group will report monthly to the Board. 

 

Time Commitment: 

This is roughly a 2 year commitment. 

Participate in a 1-hr conference call every other week.  Participation
outside the calls will be as required to complete group tasks.  

This will be a working group of volunteers which will require working on
group tasks with other members and frequent conference calls, so please
consider your travel and work schedule before applying.

 

Rewards:

As with many things, you will get out of it what you put in....we
believe you will be rewarded with closer connection to the Cohousing
Movement and to a smart group of individuals who are passionate about
making cohousing more accessible to those of all income levels.

You will also be publicly recognized at the 2010 and 2011 National
Cohousing Conferences.

 

Selection process:

Please send the following to David Entin - davidentin [at] comcast.net

*        Resume or short professional bio

*        Brief description of why you would like to serve on this Task
Group (300 word max) 

*        Description of the specific skills you would bring to the Group
(300 word max)

 

Deadline:

Applications due to David Entin via email by February 15, 2010

We will notify all candidates of their status by March 1, 2010.

 

____

 

Charter for Affordable Cohousing Task Group

 

Goal:    Encourage HUD and other government agencies to support the
creation of affordable cohousing projects.

 

Strategic Actions:         

 

1.       Advocate for cohousing as an option for low income people and
affordable housing developers at local/national levels.

 

2.       Develop plan for advocacy day in Washington D.C. during the
2011 conference.

 

3.       Develop resources to aid forming/existing cohousing communities
on how to incorporate affordable units into their projects.

 

Interim steps:

1. CoHo US Board sets goals and approves task group.

2. Write Task Group Member Job Description

3. Solicit volunteer members for Task Group Members through Board
contacts and general publication on CoHo US List Serve.

4. Set up Yahoogroups for discussion/document control

5. Set up and coordinate bi-monthly conference call meetings throughout
2010 and 2011.

5.  Roll out 2011 advocacy plans at June 2010 conference in Boulder, CO.

                                    

Purpose:

This would be a task group (not committee) to focus on the specific
strategic area of affordable cohousing for the next 2 years.  The
purpose of the task group would be to create and implement an action
plan for advocacy day in Washington D.C. during the 2011 conference and
develop a extensive set of resources for forming/existing cohousing
communities on how to incorporate affordable units into their projects.
After the 2011 Conference, the Board could decide if there is a need for
ongoing work and to charter a committee to oversee this ongoing work.  

 

Administration:

This task group would be led by a Board member and report directly to
the Board.  Membership could include additional Board members but would
be comprised of 10-15 participants representing a diversity of
professional, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.  Each member will have a
2 year commitment for bi-monthly 1 hour conference calls.

 

Questions to be addressed by this Task Group

When we gain audience from HUD, what are we asking for?

What is our focus?  From HUD and sustainability reasons, focusing on
urban areas might be prudent.  Transit oriented development (TOD) and
mixed use projects are highly sustainable solutions..should this be a
focus?

What other agencies/organizations would be beneficial to consider
working with?  If we choose NOT to focus on urban areas, are there USDA
funds that might support the creation of cohousing for agricultural
areas/populations?  

Who are our allies/resources at state/local levels?

 

Getting started:

Precedent study - document best practices (what worked/didn't work),
basic definitions of affordability, how-to steps and funding tools used.
(research initiative - enlist grad students in policy planning, communal
studies, etc.)

 

 

 

grace h kim aia, architect & cofounder

schemata workshop | empowering communities through architecture

1720 12th ave #3  seattle wa 98122  v 206 285 1589

www.schemataworkshop.com <http://www.schemataworkshop.com/> 

 

Recipient of 2009 Mayor's Small Business Award