Irresistible
Community Builders Presents:
Thriving During Hard Times Through Community
by Tom & Carol Braford
Coho/US recently hosted a discussion on how people in
cohousing communities are not just riding out the downturn
in the economy, but actually thriving as individuals,
as communities and as a movement (listen: www.cohousing.org).
Even though this is not expected to be anything approaching
the scale and duration of the Depression, it seems that
as a society we are not nearly as well equipped to deal
with adversity now as we were then.
Many extended families, churches and other organizations
that once provided a system of social support are fragmented.
We are also unlikely even to know our neighbors, let alone
be able to rely on them in an emergency.
Cohousing, of course, can’t fix everything. It can’t
stop people from dying or losing a job or their home.
But it can lessen the pain of those experiences and more.
So far, there have been virtually no cohousing foreclosures,
and interest remains high and may even be increasing.
Chuck Durrett, cofounder of the US cohousing movement,
summed up why when he said that cohousing is an opportunity
to survive the economic downturn by employing the power
of community.
At Metro Cohousing, for example, buyers now have an opportunity
to buy in for a lower price and at lower interest rates
than in years. You may pay more per square foot, but you
are getting higher quality, more durable and more energy
efficient construction and extensive common facilities.
Buying housing by the pound or square foot never made
sense anyway; as Chuck Durrett says, your housing should
fit like a glove, not a shopping bag.
Cohousing pays big dividends in many ways. Having a community
to rely on is invaluable in a time when many people feel
alienated and alone. You can save by eating gourmet meals
in the common house instead of dining out, tool sharing,
car sharing and even house sharing.
And what about job opportunities? Interested in owning
or renting in cohousing, need a job to qualify for a loan
or pay the rent and willing to be responsible and work
hard? Give us a call.
We’ll have an orientation and tour on Saturday,
December 13, at 11:00, followed by a potluck lunch. You
are welcome to participate in the Green Beings’
workday that day, too.
Contacts: Culver Way Ecovillage: 314-534-4780, www.CulverWayCohousing.com,
email: braford@sbcglobal.net.
Green Beings CSA: www.greenbeings-stl.com,
greenbeings@gmail.com.
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