3232Commune/Cohousing

[evile]

May 23, 2005

 

 

Seems the idea of some sort of communal life has been circulating
among several of my friends. Not that I'm really in a position to do
so (I don't think) but it still seems like a really cool idea, given
the right neighbors.

One friend asked me what I thought about it, and I spoke my fears (I
will do all the work, pay for everything, and end up having to raise
kids I didn't make and don't want) rather than my hopes (being
surrounded by supportive friends, many people to create new things
with, neighbors you know, trust, and like, extra resources, being
able to share what I know and what I have with people who will
appreciate and reciprocate)

My original concept (people in individual cabins with a central area
for dining, crafts, library, movies, etc.) is looking an awful lot
like what is being called cohousing. http://www.cohousing.org/

I am just wondering...what makes this able to happen? If a group
wanted to set up a childfree, or buddhist, or Catholic, or gay, or
Renfaire oriented community, what would stop someone from suing the
group for discriminating against them and forcing the community to
accept a childed family among the childfree, a pagan among the
Catholics, a straight among the queers? As it stands now, I believe
fair housing laws prevent conventional landlords from discriminating
on whatever basis. So how do cohousing groups get around anti-
discrimination laws?

Because, seriously, I WANT to discriminate. I want to have lawful,
hard-working neighbors who share my lifestyle and views on life, or
else it'd be just like living where I do now, only I'd have to mow
their lawns and babysit their kids and shit.