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

[Chris Hansen (itschrishansen]

We allow 14 nights free per household per year. After that, and for
non-related guests it’s $25 per room per night.

On Mon, Mar 7, 2022 at 12:33 AM Allison Tom <allisonrtom [at] gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
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> --
Chris Hansen
32 East Village Drive
Burlington
Vermont 05401
USA

Ph 603 3988730