Is there a screening process? Who decides who lives in cohousing?
Most forming and developing cohousing groups do not screen new members. Potential members learn about the community and the expectations for participation and decide for themselves whether or not the community will meet their needs.
To help potential member households make an informed decision, groups usually require attendance at an orientation, several regular business meetings, and perhaps some involvement with a committee before they can apply for membership. Specific arrangements for joining vary across communities.
Related pages: Legal Structures
resales
From our experience at OCC in Paso Robles, I have learned that there isn't any practical way to limit re-sales to folks who have an interest in co-housing. some of our resales have gone to people who just liked the real estate and don't participate in community life. I know you can market in places most likely to attract people with a real interest, but has any one found a way that's legal to limit who buys resales?? Judith
An alternative to conventional sales
Songaia recently had a home come up for sale. We put the word out about its impending sale to folks who were already in relationship with our community.
Within a couple of days, 8 families interested in buying the home had a group meeting. Since we didn't have a waiting list, or even a strong process to deal with selling our homes, we asked the interested parties to decide and I facilitated the process. A few days later, two families decided they were immediately ready to buy and they decided who would go first and who would go second should the first buyer be unable to come to terms with the seller.
While this process was still happening, I negotiated a fair sale price with the owner, then passed the transaction on to the buyer who was first in line. All this happened within 2 weeks.
I guess my suggestion is that cohousing communities that build strong relationships with folks outside your community will have "buyers" who are just waiting in the wings, ready to eagerly buy when homes are for sale. I find the idea of having people who are already close to your community ready to buy as being a FAR better approach than trying to subvert fair housing law or limit who can buy.
Craig Ragland
Songaia Cohousing
Don't wait for a unit to come on the market
Work on building relationships with your (potential) new neighbors before it gets to that point -- at that point it may be too late to have as much input in the process.
Host regular open houses or tours. Encourage members to host meetings of groups they're interested in there -- those can be the best places to find someone actively interested in the community and its values. Build an "interest list" (if not a formal "waiting list"). Perhaps have some associate members who come help cook or clean or do workdays and build some connection with the community. Collaborate with other cohousing groups in your area, if any (and help interested people start new ones, host their meetings, give them advice).
If the group is reluctant to commit general membership funds towards marketing and outreach (which may be perceived as being of primary benefit to the seller), set up a "transfer fee" paid by the seller upon resale. Many condos use this to cover administrative costs related to unit transfer, but cohousing groups could choose to make a greater investment together towards both outreach and then education/integration of the new member upon resale.
I find it helps to approach this process not framed in terms of "requirements" and "screening," but rather in terms of "opportunity for engagement."
Don't leave your departing members out in the cold -- they're the ones with the greatest interest in selling the unit quickly and the least interest in the long-term community impact. The more support you give them, the more likely you are to find someone who will make a great community member.
Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach
at Berkeley (CA) Cohousing
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