research-l Mailing List: Re: [Article :: Nov 2, 2022] Cohousing is empowering people to fight back against a global housing crisis

[Chuck Maclane (chuck.maclane]

 Hey Neil, I hope you're gaining in strength every day. From my view of the last decade or so, you've been a linchpin for cohousing in many ways.

 I found, in the article you sent, a resonance with an idea that I made a pitch for at a  cohousing conference several years ago.  The quote from the article is:

An EU-funded report on the right to housing highlights that cohousing has been “coopted by the market”. And it is true that cohousing nowadays can be less an alternative to market housing than an upmarket niche product of it, with prices of entry often prohibitively high.

Grassroots initiatives can find it difficult get hold of suitable sites and to finance their projects, especially when their budgets are limited. In many countries, housing, tax and lending policies create a huge bias in favour of traditional homeownership, while planning systems favour large developers.

For cohousing to thrive, then, institutional support is key, from facilitating access to public land to providing grants as well as planning support and technical advice. It also helps for projects and initiatives to team up and support each other, as an initiative in Germany shows.

I was trying (I think with less clarity than the article) to say that cohousing needs to get into the heads of those who have public money for affordable housing: to sell the idea that community (through cohousing) should be a feature of some affordable housing. The influx of Amazon money for affordable housing in Arlington and Alexandria offered an entry-point for making this argument when less conventional ideas were more likely to get a hearing. 

The current polarized mess doesn't make advanced  housing ideas more palatable--however, their validity is still solid I think. People who are knowledgeable must still use their voices to push humanity-oriented ideas.

My warmest wishes, Chuck

 

On Sat, Nov 5, 2022 at 9:36 AM Neil Planchon <neil [at] swansway.com> wrote:

Hello everyone,

I really enjoyed this article by Johannes Novy, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, School of Architecture and Cities, University of Westminster and it also includes one of my favorite intentional community videos. Also Good to see La Borda moving along too and another segment about Marmalade Lane’s story. (Thank you Johannes, The Conversation and other contributors!) And a most excellent lead photo too

I hope you’ll enjoy and pass along to your current and future neighbors - and beyond!

Cohousing is empowering people to fight back against a global housing crisis
https://theconversation.com/cohousing-is-empowering-people-to-fight-back-against-a-global-housing-crisis-189890

Be well and happy November!

Cordially,
Neil

Steering Committee. Cohousing Research Network (CRN)
Events Team Volunteer. Cohousing Association (Coho/US)
Co-Developer and Co-Founder. Swan’s Market Cohousing, Oakland CA

Head of Ads, Development, Help Desk and Partnerships
Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) neil [at] ic.org
Click / Tap here >> https://www.ic.org/together-we-can/
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