Cohousing-L Mailing List: Access to Financing & Affordable Models

[Alice Alexander (alicecohous]

[the following is posted as a blog on Coho/US website
<http://www.cohousing.org/node/2987>, as well as my opening words in eNews
publishing this morning. If you aren't receiving eNews, sign up
<http://www.cohousing.org/signup>!]

In our quest to expand cohousing, Coho/US has long recognized two major
challenges: (1) accessing financing and (2) creating more affordable
models. This month, Coho/US made headway in addressing both, establishing a
formal collaboration with Partnerships for Affordable Cohousing. Pooling
our reach, credibility and knowledge will bolster our mutual efforts to
develop and promote strategies to broaden access and affordability.

The impetus for collaboration is the development of a loan program, to
increase access to financing for construction and expansion of cohousing
communities. A loan program also provides the opportunity for individuals,
foundations and public funding sources to invest in cohousing and promote
our housing model. We have been in conversations since last fall with the
National Cooperative Bank, a potential financial partner in this endeavor,
and we may consider collaborating with foundations whose goals of
sustainable communities mirror ours.
Coho/US and PFAC are both committed to increasing cohousing models that
employ a broader range of creative financing opportunities. For one,
growing cohousing will be expedited with creative models; for another, we
believe that cohousing should be available to everyone, including
low-resourced individuals and families. Many cohousing communities have
struggled to create affordable units, with varying degrees of success.
Often both public and private means are employed with some communities
utilizing public resources, while others have generated private resources
to make some units affordable........
Read more on cohousing.org <http://www.cohousing.org/node/2987>

-- 
Alice Alexander
Executive Director
www.cohousing.org <http://www.cohous.org>
[image: The Cohousing Association]