Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: City and municipal zoning and laws.

[Tom Smyth (tom]

I didn't see this on the schedule. Is it not up yet?

On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 5:37 PM Ann Lehman <ann [at] zimmerman-lehman.com> 
wrote:

> Wanted you all to know that Matthew Gebhardt
> <
> https://www.pdx.edu/usp/sites/www.pdx.edu.usp/files/Gebhardt%2C%20Matthew%20CV%208-2016.pdf
> >
> , Assistant Professor, Urban Studies & Planning - Urban & Public Affairs,
> Portland State University is confirmed to co-teach this session.
>
> Ann Lehman
> Governance and Gender Consultant
> Zimmerman Lehman*forging futures for nonprofits
> **http://zimmerman-lehman.com/ <http://zimmerman-lehman.com/>
> *510.755.5701 (Mobile)*National Cohousing Conference
> <
> https://2019.cohousing.org/?_ga=2.193273134.243406862.1532874773-1869842442.1530054277
> >,
> May30-June2, 2019, Portland, OR*
>
>
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> On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 2:11 PM Tom Smyth <tom [at] tomsmyth.ca> wrote:
>
> > Hear hear. Great points Brian. I look forward to this workshop and would
> > love to see this covered as well. And how about retro-fit cohousing? Do
> > local laws come into play there? I know little about it but it seems
> > crucial to scaling the movement...
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 3:59 PM Brian Bartholomew via Cohousing-L <
> > cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Dean,
> > >
> > > Please consider taking a wider view, and survey laws which affect
> > > approaches other than the usual dense suburban look for $400K/unit.
> > >
> > > For instance, will the local development-plan-approver allow less
> > > expensive developments which depress existing housing resale prices by
> > > creating competing alternatives?
> > >
> > > There are many approaches to construction which can build
> > > incrementally over 10-20 years with less loans:
> > >
> > >         State park-ish style with centralized bathroom, laundry,
> > >         kitchen.  Bare lots with electricity and telco but not fresh
> > >         water or sewer yet.
> > >
> > >         Trailer park style with yucky old trailers; with RVs; with
> > >         brand new LEED Katrina cottages.
> > >
> > >         Suburban neighborhood style with water and sewer buried under
> > >         road, but cheaper roads: dirt or limerock instead of pavement,
> > >         no storm drains, sidewalks, streetlights, curbs.
> > >
> > > These housing styles may not be your preference.  However, some people
> > > need a cheaper approach, as cost of living is being inflated from 7%
> > > to 13%.  These numbers are calculated from price tags of common items:
> > >
> > >         http://www.chapwoodindex.com/
> > >
> > > > At the state or federal level, why not seek to have government loan
> > > > guarantees for cohousing?
> > >
> > > As we've seen with university tuition, if you make a broad government
> > > guarantee of loans then institutions will raise prices to consume
> > > those guarantee amounts.  The cost to the consumer will grow much
> > > faster than even the rest of the cost of living is being grown.  To
> > > really make it unaffordable, make the debts non-dischargable in
> > > bankruptcy like student loans are.  Then there's even less risk to the
> > > lenders, and the loans which are poorly justified by future earnings
> > > potential will be even bigger.
> > >
> > > Obviously, a government program which taxes money from an upper-middle
> > > class person and gives it back to them as a housing subsidy has
> > > produced no wealth.  Instead, it has consumed wealth to administrate
> > > that program.  A mechanism like Kickstarter is far more democratic, as
> > > the opinions about what results would be a net wealth increase are
> > > being made by every person who pays in, not just legislators.
> > >
> > > Brian
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > > http://L.cohousing.org/info
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Tom Smyth
> >
> > Worker-Owner, Sassafras Tech Collective
> > Specializing in innovative, usable tech for social change
> > sassafras.coop · @sassafrastech
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
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> >
> >
> >
> >
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-- 
Tom Smyth

Worker-Owner, Sassafras Tech Collective
Specializing in innovative, usable tech for social change
sassafras.coop · @sassafrastech