Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Searching for a cohousing community that is satisfied with how its workshare is working. We want to learn from you.

[R.N. Johnson (cohoranda]

I can see how the neighbor accountability factor might be less effective in a 
larger group.  There is a great variety in what households contribute even in 
our small (12 household) group, although I would say 80-90 % are putting in at 
least the minimum we have agreed upon over time, and the 25% that put in way 
more time rotates among  half the group. 

Randa Johnson
New Brighton Cohousing

Aptos, CA


________________________________
 From: Sharon Villines <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
To: R.N. Johnson <cohoranda [at] yahoo.com>; Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] 
cohousing.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 3:03 PM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Searching for a cohousing community that is satisfied with 
how its workshare is working. We want to learn from you.
 
I think I'm seeing a pattern here. The two communities that I remember saying 
that things are working well for them are 11 and 12 units. Another is 20, I 
think. 

Could people who chime on on workshare state community size in terms of units 
or households?

We have 43 units and while an enormous amount of work gets done by individuals 
and on workdays, it is unevenly dispersed with some households contributing 
nothing and a few others almost nothing or are not dependable. Some are 
stepping back from being very active and wanting to "get on with their lives." 
Others regularly put in 20 hours a week.

New people are on the whole much more involved than those they replaced but are 
not interested in making cohousing their second job on evenings on weekends. 
Even getting bids and arranging the work someone else does takes lots of time. 
Even though more than half of our residents work at home at least a few days a 
week, they are unwilling to take on these tasks.

As the number of units increases so do the jobs and not just in number-- in 
scale. They are more complex and can't be done by the local person with an 
assistant who helps everyone else in private homes. Painting the CH will take 
at least 4 full days and a team of painters. The plumbing jobs have to be done 
by a big company. The smaller plumbers everyone in the neighborhood knows and 
trusts don't want to do such big jobs. It's too complex.

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