I'm considering forming a new Yahoo group for people serious about truly affordable cohousing concepts. Already I've received several private e-mails from people expressing an interest in doing this. I hesitate to start a discussion like this separate from the main coho mailing list because the knowledge and support of experienced cohousers is needed.
Since coho projects often are formed in a particular geographical area, I'm not quite sure how this new list would look. I'd like to see it include people who primarily want to keep expenses well under $150,000 per member, including community construction and membership -- from any geographical area.
If you are interested in being notified about formation of a group like this, please leave your name and e-mail address in the comments area. I'd also encourage you to subscribe to the Cohousing Association's mailing list , check out the Cohousing wiki, and follow links from these sources and the Small House Society to read more about it. More later as this idea percolates.
Showing posts with label cohousing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cohousing. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2008
Discuss truly affordable cohousing
Truly affordable cohousing and accessibility are the current hot topics on the Cohousing mailing list. Although there is a concerted effort at many projects to have some units available to people with low incomes, posters (including myself) have suggested that many new building techniques can open the cohousing threshold to low-income and poverty-level people.
Most projects have an entry-level expense of about $200,000 to $300,000 and up. A typical three-bedroom home in cohousing can be the same price as comparable homes in that geographical market. Project home prices often are slightly higher than comparable homes when the shared expense of developing the community (Common House) and/or 'green' construction features are included.
Affordable housing examples that could cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 include smaller houses (less than 1,000 square feet), prefabricated or modular homes, converted shipping crates, Katrina Cottages, or homes built entirely of recycled materials. Many of these types of dwellings are discussed on the Small Home Society mailing list and on a growing variety of web sites focused on sustainable and ecological building construction.
I'm looking forward to further discussions and will include new information here as the topic unfolds. Please contribute your observations or opinions about truly affordable cohousing in 'comments' to this post.
Most projects have an entry-level expense of about $200,000 to $300,000 and up. A typical three-bedroom home in cohousing can be the same price as comparable homes in that geographical market. Project home prices often are slightly higher than comparable homes when the shared expense of developing the community (Common House) and/or 'green' construction features are included.
Affordable housing examples that could cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 include smaller houses (less than 1,000 square feet), prefabricated or modular homes, converted shipping crates, Katrina Cottages, or homes built entirely of recycled materials. Many of these types of dwellings are discussed on the Small Home Society mailing list and on a growing variety of web sites focused on sustainable and ecological building construction.
I'm looking forward to further discussions and will include new information here as the topic unfolds. Please contribute your observations or opinions about truly affordable cohousing in 'comments' to this post.
Review cohousing list discussions
An attempt to summarize various topics discussed at length on the Cohousing-L mailing list is underway on The Cohousing Wiki. One recent topic was modular construction.
The cohousing wiki was created in March 2007 by several list members including Fred Olson of Minnesota and John Faust of Arizona. Since it is done in 'wiki' style, the project will continue to add information and be available for people to edit or update articles.
Since the cohousing mailing list averages from 2 to 50 posts a day, it can be overwhelming, especially if you miss reading it for a few days. Fred also provides archives for the mailing list that are searchable, but you need to be subscribed to the list for access. The wiki makes many current cohousing topics available at the reader's convenience.
"The discussion can be transformed into something more meaningfully organized," said John, " with the possibility that it becomes cohousing knowledge and an evolving resource for others."
The cohousing wiki was created in March 2007 by several list members including Fred Olson of Minnesota and John Faust of Arizona. Since it is done in 'wiki' style, the project will continue to add information and be available for people to edit or update articles.
Since the cohousing mailing list averages from 2 to 50 posts a day, it can be overwhelming, especially if you miss reading it for a few days. Fred also provides archives for the mailing list that are searchable, but you need to be subscribed to the list for access. The wiki makes many current cohousing topics available at the reader's convenience.
"The discussion can be transformed into something more meaningfully organized," said John, " with the possibility that it becomes cohousing knowledge and an evolving resource for others."
Cohousing Conference coming up
The National Cohousing Association of the United States will host presenters, exhibits, cohousers, and potential cohousers on Thursday, June 12 through Sunday June 15 near Boston, MA. It will be held at Bentley College in Waltham, Ma. For conference details, go here.
There will be presentations about everything from the basics of cohousing and designing and building communities, to living in community and sustaining the cohousing movement throughout the country. For those who want to participate, there will be a bus tour of communities in Western Massachusetts and other workshops. The conference has been held six times in the past 10 years. Primary locations have been on the East Coast, with one conference each held in Seattle, Berkeley, and Boulder.
There will be presentations about everything from the basics of cohousing and designing and building communities, to living in community and sustaining the cohousing movement throughout the country. For those who want to participate, there will be a bus tour of communities in Western Massachusetts and other workshops. The conference has been held six times in the past 10 years. Primary locations have been on the East Coast, with one conference each held in Seattle, Berkeley, and Boulder.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Portland project combines green, small living
In Portland, Oregon, people work together to get stuff done - or so it says in this article published in the March 2008 issue of Sunset magazine. The article focuses on three couples with 'green' lifestyles. One of the couples is Laura Ford and Josh Devine who are part of a 4-unit infill community called Sabin Green. It consists of four homes on a 75- by 100-foot lot that used to have only a single two-bedroom bungalow and garage. Developed with affordability in mind, Josh and Laura's house cost $143,000 and is 530 square feet. The cohousing project meets two big goals - having a small footprint AND providing a house they could afford.
Multimedia: 21st Century Village
I just came across a link to several nicely produced clips and shorts about the cohousing experience. The multi-media presentation is from YourHealthConnection.com.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Wisconsin cohousing bucks national downturn in home sales
While today's housing market falls apart, cohousing projects in Madison, WI, aren't having problems selling units, according to an article on the Madison Commons web site.
Three cohousing projects already exist in Madison. A fourth in the works is providing a "little shining bright spot in the Madison housing market," a future resident of Arboretum Cohousing said.
Affordable for Troy Gardens was $109,500 for a two-bedroom condo and $139,500 for three bedrooms. The project used federal and local funds and the profits from its 10 market-rate homes to subsidize 30 below-market-rate units. This let sometimes expensive 'green building' elements to be installed in all 40 units.
Habitat for Humanity built one unit in the Arbco Cohousing project.
Three cohousing projects already exist in Madison. A fourth in the works is providing a "little shining bright spot in the Madison housing market," a future resident of Arboretum Cohousing said.
Affordable for Troy Gardens was $109,500 for a two-bedroom condo and $139,500 for three bedrooms. The project used federal and local funds and the profits from its 10 market-rate homes to subsidize 30 below-market-rate units. This let sometimes expensive 'green building' elements to be installed in all 40 units.
Habitat for Humanity built one unit in the Arbco Cohousing project.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Communal housing comes of age
The Los Angeles Times published an article in December 2007 describing the concept of elder cohousing. As an example, it used Wolf Creek Lodge, a cohousing project in formation in Grass Valley, Nevada County -- the Gold Country foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California.
Officially classified as elder cohousing, it's members range in age from 59 through 84 with most in their mid 60s. It's an offshoot of the growing cohousing movement. The article describes the basic premises of cohousing, where it started, and where it's going. It's a great resource for people learning about cohousing.
The people participating in Wolf Creek hope to join with a group of like-minded people -- all relatively healthy and not that old -- and together they could build a community that would be something between a commune and condo complex.
Wolf Creek will have 30 units, complete with a common house where members will dine together several nights each week. It will be California's second elder cohousing community and only the fourth such project nationwide, according to the article. A dozen or so others are in the works.
Although at 53, I have a hard time thinking of myself in terms of being an 'elder', the reason for forming the community rings true for me: "Many people don't have an extended family, or it's an extended dysfunctional family," said one potential member. "We'll have this close community for, well, the rest of our lives."
Interesting to know that there are about 100 multi-generational cohousing communities in the United States -- more in Northern California than anywhere else. They usually consist of town houses or separate residences built around a common house and shared open space. Elder Cohousing is a response to the fading away of our traditional understanding of family and care-giving, according to Dr. Bill Thomas, geriatrician.
What members want is to live in a place where "if you break a hip, your neighbors will help you buy groceries. . . . We're trying to recreate the neighborhood, so the neighbors will look out for you," one member said.
The units are expected to run from about $200,000 for those designated affordable to $500,000. The complex also will have two guest suits an a unit that could be used for a shared caregiver.
"The ides is to make lifestyle choices now that can sustain you through your future but which provide a lot of fun," one member said. "The idea is to maintain control over your own life as long as possible."
Officially classified as elder cohousing, it's members range in age from 59 through 84 with most in their mid 60s. It's an offshoot of the growing cohousing movement. The article describes the basic premises of cohousing, where it started, and where it's going. It's a great resource for people learning about cohousing.
The people participating in Wolf Creek hope to join with a group of like-minded people -- all relatively healthy and not that old -- and together they could build a community that would be something between a commune and condo complex.
Wolf Creek will have 30 units, complete with a common house where members will dine together several nights each week. It will be California's second elder cohousing community and only the fourth such project nationwide, according to the article. A dozen or so others are in the works.
Although at 53, I have a hard time thinking of myself in terms of being an 'elder', the reason for forming the community rings true for me: "Many people don't have an extended family, or it's an extended dysfunctional family," said one potential member. "We'll have this close community for, well, the rest of our lives."
Interesting to know that there are about 100 multi-generational cohousing communities in the United States -- more in Northern California than anywhere else. They usually consist of town houses or separate residences built around a common house and shared open space. Elder Cohousing is a response to the fading away of our traditional understanding of family and care-giving, according to Dr. Bill Thomas, geriatrician.
What members want is to live in a place where "if you break a hip, your neighbors will help you buy groceries. . . . We're trying to recreate the neighborhood, so the neighbors will look out for you," one member said.
The units are expected to run from about $200,000 for those designated affordable to $500,000. The complex also will have two guest suits an a unit that could be used for a shared caregiver.
"The ides is to make lifestyle choices now that can sustain you through your future but which provide a lot of fun," one member said. "The idea is to maintain control over your own life as long as possible."
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