Cohousing-L Mailing List: Shared Community Spaces

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> From Bernie Sanders Housing Policy Statement

>   - "Ensure that public housing has high-quality, shared community spaces.”

Urban planning in Greek and Roman societies were built around a space 
sufficient to hold all the citizens in that town or neighborhood. This was 
understood as necessary for people to gather and share information, govern 
themselves, and hold games and festivities. It takes on the importance of 
“first we need a gathering place.” It wasn’t an afterthought or something the 
“private sector” was expected to develop as a commercial resource. It was a 
civic space believed necessary to urban living — probably even as an advantage 
of urban living.

Religious institutions used to provide this resource, so the decline of 
religious communities has removed gathering places. The lack of such gathering 
places “large enough to hold all the residents of a neighborhood” must surely 
affect participation in governance. 

When new communities ask what is essential to cohousing, my answer is a common 
house large enough to hold all the members of the community. It doesn’t 
actually have to be a house. In the model that Ty planned in Oklahoma were 
built around a large deck that doubled as front porches and as a full group 
gathering place. With time a roof could be added.

A kitchen for shared meals is important but meals can also be potluck, cooked 
outside, etc. Exercise facilities can also be outside — remember the 
installations in parks that were a planned circuit of exercises with 8-15 
stops? I’m reminded of the public gyms on the beach in Florida where body 
builders work out all day everyday.

Affordable cohousing will have to involve dreaming in reverse. What is it we 
want — a community, which requires a space to gather as equals — or a whole 
other building that increases the cost of individual homes. One of our 
management companies told us that condominium financing with attached dwellings 
would require 400 units to support the common facilities we have.

I haven’t done a spreadsheet, but it seems that CH units are smaller only in 
comparison to single-household freestanding buildings. Our units are assessed 
at the same market prices as other small condos and houses in our neighborhood, 
none of which have common houses.

The sales pitch also has to change. When words like “high-quality” seep in the 
price doubles unless the description also explains that “high quality” means 
sound foundations, long-lasting finishes, low utility bills, expandable, etc. 
All the features that can contribute to value over time. 

Any features that mean no rats or mice, no leaking windows or roofs, no 
plumbing leaks, etc. 

The "value of a front door that locks” has to be emphasized to keep the costs 
from sliding up. If it sounds like a market rate condo, it will cost what a 
market rate condo costs. 

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