Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Charging to use community facilities, especially guest rooms

[Allison Tom (allisonrtom]

I appreciate those who have taken the time to respond to me on and off list.

I have to admit that I still can't wrap my head around the general
acceptance of charging members to use the guest rooms on the grounds that
"it costs money" to pay for heat and light (hosts do all of the work of
cleaning, changing bedding, etc) while it's free to use every other space
in the building, most of which cost more to run and to clean than the guest
rooms.

I can't figure out what value is represented by that decision.

We do limit guest stays to a maximum of 2 weeks, and our guest rooms are in
high demand, but they are used by some members more than others - just like
every other space. My strata fees pay for the building maintenance and
common space heat & light.

I think that part of my strong discomfort with the policy here is that we
have about a quarter of our homes priced 25% below market. We are in one of
the most expensive real estate markets in North America. Many households,
whether or not they're in below-market units, are in tight quarters and on
tight budgets. They need the guest rooms for family to visit.

So we end up charging guest room fees to the community members with the
least amount of wiggle room. Meanwhile, someone like me who can afford the
space to have an extra bed won't usually need to use this space.

So are we fundraising on the backs of the less wealthy community members?
What value does this serve?

Thanks again,

Allison