Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Real Estate Gifts?

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Apr 7, 2021, at 11:50 AM, David Heimann <heimann [at] theworld.com> wrote:
> 
> We do have a limit on the length of a long-term rental, so I'm not sure how a 
> unit donated as a long-term affordable rental would work.

I would amend your rental policy to apply different expectations to that units. 
Phrases that say “with the exception of Unit ##."
> 
> Do you have experience or knowledge with either a temporary or an ongoing 
> affordable rental of a donated unit?

We don’t have any experience with donated units. One kind of rental that might 
be possible for that kind of unit in DC or a community near a university is a 
rental limited to people who are in town to do an internship, fellowship, etc. 
People from other countries have rented vacant units because they had a 6 month 
or 1 year grant to be here temporarily. This has to my knowledge always been a 
positive experience with community members keeping in touch and even going to 
visit them later. (One family stayed 3 months and didn’t speak English so that 
kind of relationship didn’t develop.)

We have a delightful group of Germans who were here for an accessibility 
conference that lasted longer than the usual Guest Room Policy allowed. They 
gathered every evening in the CH to play games. As I remember it was a 
multi-generational group. They were very cheery and asked lots of questions. 

Twelve-year-old Kira’s name was on the whiteboard under birthdays. Kira came 
through the common house and someone called her name. The Germans asked me if 
that was the same Kira who had a birthday. When I said yes, they asked if it 
would appropriate for them to give her a gift, which they did. They had figured 
out the unit directory and found her.

The shorter term rentals blend in as easily as the long term rentals. I assume 
because they know similar communities at home. We do assign buddies to them. 
And it does help if they speak English but often there is someone around who 
can translate at least a few words.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org