Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: New RENTAL Community Opening in Washington DC; Opportunity for 55+

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

HI Fred!

Always happy to see comments from you on Coho-L topics.


See below

> On Oct 19, 2015, at 7:56 AM, Fred H Olson <fholson [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Ann,
> 
> Thanks for this information about what sounds like a cross between
> cohousing and supportive housing and nonprofit housing. Interesting.
> 
> A few excerpts I'll comment on:
> 
>> Consider GENESIS, a brand new rental intentional community scheduled
>> to open around November 1st in northwest Washington, DC.
>> 
>> http://www.genesisdc.org
>> 
>> While this is an intergenerational community - the units available now
>> are targeted for folks 55+.
> 
>> It differs from cohousing in that it is a completely rental community,
>> it is not completely self managed and it will have on-site
>> professionals who will guide the community.
> 
> This seems to imply the cohousing could not be all rental.  So far in the US
> there are few if any all rental cohousing communities (anyone think of any)
> but there could be.

There is one completely rental community out on the West coast — the name of 
which escapes me — that, as far as I can tell from the info I’ve read doesn’t 
work very well as a cohousing community. Others on this list can correct this 
view. You remember we visited two rental communities in Denmark.  The first one 
had no say in who joined or not. That community had problems around all the 
community aspects of living together as a cohousing group.  The second one we 
visited DID have a say on who joined and that community worked very well 
together as rental cohousing.

The beauty of Generations of Hope is that a altho’ it’s a rental community 
folks join for a common purpose:  help families w/ foster kids in exchange for 
lower rent.   There’s common work common to all who join.  I actually think 
this is the key to what makes cohousing or any community a “successful” 
community — that is, a community that works.  Common work common to all.


>> Two 1-bedroom apartments renting for $1200 per month
>> Households must meet the following criteria.
>> 
>> 1. Have a household income as shown in below — these are the guidelines for
>> people w/ household incomes 51-80% of median income in DC:
>> 
>> 1 person household $37,450-47,950
>> 2 person household $42,800-54,800
> ...
> 
> For the 2 person household the income guidelines and rent rate
> imply 35% to 45% of household income which used to be around here
> considered quite high.  Is that typical in DC?  Of course it is more
> than just housing.

The range is 51-80% of median income.  DC has the highest median income in the 
country at $90,000; SF has the 2nd highest at $80,000; Boston the 3rd highest 
at $72,000.    

I’m not sure my math is correct but when I did this on a calculator it looks to 
me as if 80% of median income in DC is $72,000.

When it comes to income and housing in DC … DC is just weird.  Looking at just 
the figures above you would never know how much poverty there is in DC —  which 
is a lot.

Ok.  Back to another ditzy day in DC where the Congress can’t get its act 
together to govern the cobwebs in the corners of the hallowed halls.  Cobwebs 
growing by the yard.  U.S. as leader of the “free” world?  I need some 
chocolate.

Today the Canadians go to the polls after the longest campaign in modern 
history:   11 weeks.  We haven’t been out of a campaign cycle in YEARS.  Is it 
something in the water?  Inquiring minds want to know …   

What’s this got to do w/ cohousing?   Should we expect serious housing policies 
in this atmosphere?

Onward!

Best --

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC
Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC
Falls Church, VA
703.688.2646