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Cohousing makes sense - and more DOLLARS?
Submitted by Cohousing Movement on Sun, 04/26/2009 - 20:41Craig Ragland, Coho/US Executive Director
Much has been written about intangible benefits of living in Cohousing. Many anecdotal statements suggest the day-to-day cost savings are also possible. There is, however, almost no data-based information addressing changes in economic value for Cohousing compared to (superficially) similar condominium developments.
A cohouser at Jackson Place Cohousing (Seattle, WA), sent me a paper by James Mayhak. Mayhak recently graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Urban Studies. His study compares appraisal data for Cohousing homes in the three City of Seattle Cohousing communities (see below) with nearby homes in non-Cohousing condominium complexes.
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Incorporating Affordable Units into Urban Cohousing: A University of Washington Architecture Student Project
Half Day Workshop: Fri 8:30 – 12:00
Special FREE Workshop
Graduate students at UW studied 3 urban sites in Seattle for hypothetical cohousing projects. They worked with a “client group” that included cohousing residents and a non-profit affordable housing developer. The student projects will be on display in Gould Court but this session will give forum for some of the students to present their projects; the “clients” to give comments on what aspects of the project were realistic / problematic; and how affordable units could be incorporated into real cohousing projects. Conference attendees are invited to come listen, learn, and ask question of the students and “clients”. This free session is intended to bring ideas to forming and existing groups on how they can incorporate affordable units into their community, thereby integrating people of mixed incomes and backgrounds into cohousing.
Affordable Cohousing: Making the Numbers Work
Half Day Workshop: Thur 1:30 – 5:00
Price: $60
Provides an overview of strategies currently in use in cohousing, and an introduction to the steps that a forming group can take early on to identify the most promising opportunities for them, and how even building groups can increase affordability in their projects. Topics to be covered include technical and practical definitions of affordability, building your case, and finding the right partners. We'll go over basics of inclusionary zoning, affordable-housing finance. In this extended format, we'll go through the basic budgets of cohousing developments and look at how to increase affordability in three different, sometimes complementary, often contradictory ways:
- Spend less (aka "build cheap") (but still make it nice enough that people want to buy it)
- Use internal price allocations (i.e. charge more for some units to make others more affordable)
Call-In #2: Current Economy and Forming Groups (Dec. 7, 2008)
Coho/US Call-In #2 (Dec. 7, 2008) focused on the needs of forming groups. Hear experienced professionals and cohousers discuss the current economy and its impact on forming groups. What can forming groups do to weather the current storm? We didn't come up with easy answers, but the conversation should prove helpful as a number of critical issues were addressed.
A Mess on Our Hands
Submitted by Chuck Durrett on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 14:49The Great Depression, probably not, but we sure have a mess on our hands. On Sunday, October 5th In Fresno, CA the Cohousing Partners and McCamant and Durrett Architects (MDA), and an awesome cohousing group celebrated the grand opening of La Querencia cohousing among hundreds of well wishers, under glorious blue skies and next door to the new Gold LEED Unitarian Church. The church and the community, both designed by MDA, have been recognized for their cutting-edge environmental leadership.
The core Fresno community of 16 households is very strong and enjoys excellent participation as it goes through the usual challenges of the move-in stage. But the challenges are not usual this year. The politicians talk of the financial crisis moving from Wall Street to Main Street. Well, Main Street is us.
Planning: Integrating Affordable Units Into Cohousing Communities
Bob Engler
How can non-professionals succeed in taking on the role of “developer”? How can communities succeed in making affordable units a significant part of the their development projects? How and when should cohousing groups seek outside help and advice? This session covers these questions and more in a presentation of “The Housing Delivery Process.” A thorough familiarity with this process will help groups get from vision to permitting approvals, to financing, to construction. The focus will be on a specific set of critical decisions, and the key considerations that will help your group navigate your way to making the best choices.
Planning: Working With Non-Profit Developers to Create Affordable Rental Cohousing
Brad Gunkel, Eris Weaver
While many groups are looking for ways to create greater affordability in cohousing, many non-profit developers are looking for ways to create tightly knit communities in their affordable developments. Is this a marriage made in heaven? Or do institutionalized restrictions on non-profit developers make this partnership too encumbered to be worth pursuing? The reality tends to be somewhere in the middle and may be worth considering. Learn about the process and challenges of working with non-profit developers to create affordable rental cohousing through an interactive discussion with the architect and group process consultant for one such community.
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