More Housing Issues

Let’s get off the co-housing topic for awhile. Related to it – but far different – are other community needs that hinge on housing patterns. Here are some elements to think on.

• How walkable is my neighborhood? Can I and the kids or older people easily and safely walk from home to home, street to street, maybe a park or a small convenience store?
• Can I walk or bike to local shops or a coffee shop? Can I meet friends there easily without worrying about parking or transportation?
• How diverse is our population in age, kids at home, income, heritage, marital status and the like? Are we very much alike or different? Do we celebrate the diversity?
• How close are public institutions – library, city hall, recreation center, chamber of commerce?
• How near are larger stores and shopping centers? Are they served by public transportation? Or easily accommodating of shared ride programs?
• And housing itself; is it affordable, available in diverse styles, sizes and costs? Are rental units in the mix? Condos? Townhomes? Single family homes?
• Is there a newspaper in town? One that focuses on just our residents? How about related websites and other communication networks?
• Are schools supported by the public in more ways than just tax dollars? Do parents get involved with the kids and their schools? Are the schools addressing issues of diversity?
• Are medical facilities and doctor offices, dentists and other medical specialties available in town? Are hospitals of high quality and near by?

Of course there are other elements worthy of discussion here, things like the state of city services, the attitude of the community about itself, employment opportunities within or near the community, and transportation systems for commuting to jobs within the farther flung region.

A lot of different things make a community whole. Are we thinking about these things? Are we researching them? Are our elected officials pursuing these issues and considering adoption for our community? Are the several local government entities doing the same and collaborating with each other? Is our community future oriented or holding the line for the past?

So much to think about. Who does this in your town? Who is paying attention to all of the working parts of the community? Are you involved? Are you participating? Are you keeping up with issues as they surface?

Maintaining diversity is an important context issue for all communities. One point of diversity is age. Are elders encouraged to remain living in town or are they pushed out to places better suited for caring for their needs? Ought we be concerned about this issue?

In my consulting career it came home to me and my clients over and over again – it is not the answers you find for questions; it is all about the questions being asked. Are we asking the right questions? Before it is too late, or after?

Are we even asking questions?

April 10, 1213