Intentional Co-Housing Innovation

I want to share an innovative idea for solving housing.

This is a big picture outline of an idea to get more people living well together and having secure healthy communities and networks of neighbors.

I envision a new type of housing community with inclusivity as a core principle. It includes housing for the unhoused, low income, blue-collar working class, professionals & well off. All share common grounds & resources to create a secure human thriving community.

Low income and no income residents can live there on a sliding scale from 100% subsidized to lower levels of subsidized housing and exercise an option should they desire to do so to build equity by working in areas like groundskeeping, maintenance, community cafe work opportunities, community child and elder care, and other ways of contributing to a safe healthy community. They could receive on-the-job training in these areas enhanced by city and county resources (think community college extension courses meet apprenticeship opportunities) and private corporate partnerships.

Low-income units could be capped at $500 per person/bedroom cost or some percentage like 25% of their income with opportunities to build/earn equity by work contributions as mentioned above.

Community public servants like teachers, firefighters and city workers could buy in to condo/townhouse units at rates well below LA’s high housing prices because of their work adding to our city and county with money subsidizing this from county housing bonds. We want to keep teachers and other city workers able to live close to the communities in which they serve and not force them to the inland areas and long commutes.

And finally, more affluent individuals and families could buy in at market rates but with city and state tax credits.

Communal childcare, education for all ages, food gardens could be accessed and worked in by people at all income socio-economic levels.

People of different ages, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds would find literal common ground and mutual interests in creating thriving and secure housing and learn that we are all in this together.

People of lower economic levels could have access to resources, training, and social and business contacts to help them acquire new skills and upward mobility, something sorely missing in America today!

I know this is a big bold creative vision. I think our times call for big bold loving visions of how we truly build back better.

Thank you for your consideration.

In solidarity,

Joseph Segal