Cohousing-L Mailing List: Cohousing vs "traditional" self-managed community

[Lisa Kuntz (lisa.kuntz]

When I chose to move to a cohousing community nine years ago, I did a lot
of preparation and chose my community after following several cohos online
for a few years, as well as visiting and "interviewing" with a couple in
person.

I thought that the concept of *cohousing *was a bit different than the idea
of a traditional *self-managed community, * the difference being the
expectation for not just participation but for social engagement and
collaboration. What if those expectations are not communicated before
people buy or rent?

What I am curious about:

   - Does a  *cohousing community *become just another *self-managed
   community, *if there are no expectations communicated to potential
   "members?"
   - If a community offers only realtor-type tours, without relational
   information, is it still *cohousing*?
   - If a community ceases to feel comfortable with any type of
   conversational/interview process to support potential buyers, is it still
   *cohousing*?
   - If there is no process to help buyers determine whether or not they
   wish to live in a *relationally* oriented community, what happens to the
   term "members?"  It seems to me as though we are just "residents."
   - What happens when there is no concrete process to educate buyers about
   how the *social fabric* differs from that of a traditional self-managed
   community?
   - Some of this transition to feeling like a traditional, self-managed
   community rather than what I think of as cohousing, is due to Fair Housing
   concerns.

I don't know whether these thoughts will resonate with others, but if they
do I would appreciate your feedback.

Lisa Kuntz
Daybreak Cohousing