Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Workshare

[Diana Carroll (dianaecarroll]

On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 1:55 PM, Sharon Villines
<sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>wrote:

> Couples are two people who use the community resources just as any other
> two people would.


Sharon, I don't argue your idea that individuals who happen to be coupled
should do as much as individuals who happen not to be.

But I do do question the idea that every individual uses the same
resources, regardless of the size of their household.

Obviously individual resources varies widely, but in general, I think two
adults in a household use less resources than two adults in two separate
households.  They certainly use less physical space.  This is why here in
Mosaic, we charge HOA dues based on size of the home, not number of
household members.  A 2BR home will cost the same to, say, paint and roof
regardless of how many people live there.

Usage of less tangible resources is harder to measure.  Do couples attend
community meals as often as single people do?  When they do, are they twice
as much work?  (For cleaning people and cooks, probably yes.  For the
bookkeeper, no, as we track by household.)  Are coupled people more likely
to ask for rides when their car is in the shop?  Do they attend more dances
and parties?  I bet (without actual scientific evidence, just a hunch) that
they are less likely.

Again, I'm not arguing that couples should be considered "one person" in
terms of workshare.  I'm just saying that it isn't always clear which
resources should be associated with households, and which with individuals,
especially in housing, where we LIVE in houses that hold households.

Diana