|
What will it take and what is REALLY what people are willing to exchange
for the safe haven of an assisted living facility or community ?
QUESTION: To all that are interested in this thread, I have a few questions and
comments for everyone on my "exercise in futility" on this topic .
Last year my brother (an alternative construction builder/developer) and
I tried to generate interest in a community in the Holbrook, Arizona
area. It was to be a combination of private homes, single level
condominiums and eventually an full "assisted living" facilitiy. The
entire project was a "true community" with deed restricted architectural
building codes and covenants. We were unable at that time to generate
enough private funds to start the project but learned a LOT in the
process.
The "negatives" - Irrespective of all the logistics and donated hours
involved; for me the most amazing fact that came to light was that only
those people who needed this type of facility "right now" were willing
to "speculate" enough to commit to "living in" the community only IF
their own personal needs were met, for example some wanted ONLY PWC's,
and possibly FMS but were not, for the most part, willing to live within
strict environmental quidelines that would also allow EI/MCS people to
also cohabit the land. For example, a gas rather than a wood burning
fireplace. Neither were they willing to commit to a down payment (fully
refundable) to "reserve a space" and allow us to fund the land and bring
in the necessary power and roads.
The most notable exception was a physician friend of Donovans, a
personal friend of mine who is an ecofeminist writer whose husband is a
painter; and a PWC friend who has a spouse who can build his
manufacturing business almost anywhere. Only those three couples were
willing to invest in private parcles of land. There were many who wanted
to move in to the assisted living facility after it was built, the
community kitchens, and gamerooms in place, etc.
What I THINK I learned from this is that it cannot be a private or
community project. Either an altruistic foundation or a very wealthy
speculator will have to "build it first" and then see if people will
come....rather than have the people who will live there help define the
needs and wants of a community.
IS this a true assumption?
If so, then we, as PWC's have to decide if we want a government funded
project built by HUD...and we mostly will be too old to live there by
the time this occurs, if my sources within that agency are correct.
Another option, is to approach various large foundations for grant
monies.
Speculations, comments, ideas? This letter is the result of two years
or more of research, getting architects, environmentalists and such to
help define and design a SAFE HAVEN by a private, not for profit
corporation. The project never got off the drawing board for lack of
sufficient money.
I have/had the possibility of private foundation research monies;
however, there are a lot of personal and religious restrictions I feel
are not workable for the large majority of the PWC/ GWS/ MCS/EI FMS
communities.
What will it take and what is REALLY what people are willing to exchange
for the safe haven of an assisted living facility or community ?
ANSWER: There are several excellent books available that address the issues
involved in establishing, choosing or moving to an intentional community.
Intentional communities are becoming more and more popular and there are
several in every state, and more all over the world. Their collective
"intent" may vary from eco issues to spiritual to even business. We've
been looking around for several years, and haven't yet found one that
meets our needs and wants.
So....we'll probably start our own. It takes time and research, since
there are several ways to just "hold" the land itself (in trust, etc.).
Head to a large library and dig out the books and articles related to
intentional community. You'll find a wealth of helpful information that
may change the way you initially approach your own plans.
One thing to keep in mind is that what allows us to live gently and
harmlessly with the earth is also what is best for us....whether CFIDS,
MCS, or EI.
If you want to fund it w/ future residents' money, then you have to seek
farther and wider for your co-founders and allow them to have input,
including determining right away what form of "government" or
problem-solving you'll use (concensus, majority vote, plurality, etc.).
Or you can buy the land (begging, borrowing, stealing the money to do
so), and start building *your* home, then the next family will build,
then the next, etc. But regardless of which method, you must be
prepared to wait.
|
|
|
|
