With the shortage of reasonably priced housing it’s refreshing to learn in regards to the C Street Co-op in Springfield (“A Home of One’s Own” EW 2/3). Like Dylan Lamar I like to think about the spectrum of housing choices. But I don’t totally agree along with his assertion that renting is a type of wealth extraction.
During the 2 years I lived in cooperatively-owned housing I discovered that some individuals benefit from the tasks of residence possession, however many individuals don’t have the time, want and/or expertise to personal a house. Cleaning gutters, evaluating insurance coverage insurance policies and budgeting to interchange the roof isn’t everybody’s concept of a very good weekend.
What individuals want is consolation, stability and affordability. Traditional residence possession and cooperatives are nice for many who select that path, however we want extra decisions on the housing spectrum.
While the American dream of residence possession can present monetary stability, it has additionally been mythologized to stoke the financial system by encouraging ever-increasing shopper demand. Sinking each paycheck into a house with out the flexibility to readily entry the house’s fairness isn’t the proper monetary technique for everybody.
In the final 10 years I’ve been offering reasonably priced housing utilizing a special mannequin. By sharing an current residence and utilizing the area extra effectively individuals can create group and luxuriate in a greater high quality of life at an inexpensive value with out the burden of residence possession. You can be taught extra about this imaginative and prescient at an open home on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 4 pm at 547 W. twelfth Avenue.
Allen Hancock
Eugene