Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: [C-L] Common house design, rooms, and room sizes?

[R Philip Dowds (rpdowds]

“Large” condo and subdivision projects often can, and do, include a few 
“below-market” unit options.  Basically, these are subsidized to the extent 
that the market-rate units pay a little more, to help write down the costs of 
the below-market units.  In Cambridge, MA, this has been institutionalized as 
“inclusionary zoning”:  If you want a special permit for large multi-family, 
then you must turn over to a City-managed limited equity program 10% of your 
units.

And that number — 10% — is key.  Much more than that, and the subsidy 
over-burden on the market units becomes too great, and the project becomes 
un-sellable, or un-financeable.

If I read your paragraph correctly, you are thinking about a 200% over-burden.  
I can’t picture how this will work for the 12 households buying in at 
market-plus.  And I don’t think that’s what you really mean.  Say more about 
your definition of “affordable”.

RPD

> On Feb 8, 2015, at 10:01 AM, Emilie Parker <emilie.v.parker [at] gmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> At Synergy Arts Cohousing in Louisville, Colorado need some advice for our
> group about income inequality.  IT's going to be part of our cohousing
> lives.  Our plan is to build 12 market price homes, 12 affordable homes,
> and 12 affordable rentals for cohousing.  I would value your thoughts about
> what we can do to make this work better in terms of setting up our
> governance?