ME/CFS Housing Co-Op

[Quemist]

Currently, I'm having a lot of problems finding people to live with who understand what it is that I'm going through. Family has been helpful but not as helpful as I thought has time progresses.

I used to stay at a housing co-op in Cupertino that I absoutely adored. It was like a dorm room full of really, really amazing people.

What would be the feasibilty of starting a housing co-op of ten or so people with ME/CFS so we can help each other? Preferably near a treatment facility-- but it would help cost of care for a number of people, I believe.

 

[Dainty]

Any ideas for location?

My partner has an RV, and a place with hookups would be awfully convenient.

 

[Quemist]

Any ideas for location?

My partner has an RV, and a place with hookups would be awfully convenient.

You know, I'm not sure. I feel like it should be close to a doctor who would be amiable to working with more patients. I'm pretty much up for anywhere.
Cali is a bit too expensive. Any ideas?

 

[Quemist]

Who would be interested in South Georgia? Asheville, NC? @Dainty, I think that there are a number of places that have hook-ups around there.

 

[Little Bluestem]

I'm not interested in moving, but Asheville, NC is beautiful.

 

[enginewitty]

can we keep this thread going?
this idea should be a common place reality among us.

I think a housing co-op is one option but a small off-grid/rural community would be much better. we could each have jobs that would help each other and stabilize the community such as driver, chef, gardener, electrician, repairman, musician/artists, etc.

if we were going to get a community going, paying for/building free utilities would be much more feasible. and if we grew our own food/medicine and had our own land + tiny homes/yurts or RVs, not getting disability would only be a minor inconvenience rather than a continually anxiety producing and life-threatening occurence.

as a community of sufferers, it is blatantly evident that we've been left for dead for the most part. and that depending on help from others or a cure is not working even remotely well. these things may happen but letting them be our only option and main focus has proven a recipe for little to no progress with far too many of us dying in the process.
we need to really take an honest look at where this is going and what we can do to get a hold of at least our fundamental necessities. I highly suggest we band together and make something work. some of us can't right now and some of us can but either way, we really need to get our basic living essentials stabilized as a community. if we actively and intentionally work together on accomplishing this, there is a vastly higher probability of us making this happen and helping it spread as blueprint toward more people suffering with this disease.

 

[enginewitty]

Who would be interested in South Georgia? Asheville, NC? @Dainty, I think that there are a number of places that have hook-ups around there.

tell me more...

Any ideas for location?

My partner has an RV, and a place with hookups would be awfully convenient.

which hookups are necessary? I'm assuming gas and electric correct? in which case, propane and solar/a generator and/or marine batteries may be good bets.
camp sites are an obvious hook up option.
if its a financial issue, sharing a common utility with someone would be better. some people will let you leach off their house for a small amount as well. just pay for parking and utilities. you would have to find someone interested or okay with this arrangement tho.

 

[Dainty]

which hookups are necessary? I'm assuming gas and electric correct? in which case, propane and solar/a generator and/or marine batteries may be good bets.
camp sites are an obvious hook up option.
if its a financial issue, sharing a common utility with someone would be better. some people will let you leach off their house for a small amount as well. just pay for parking and utilities. you would have to find someone interested or okay with this arrangement tho.

You're replying to my post from 2 years ago! At the time of that posting, we had tried various spots, but unfortunately in this area arrangements like the ones you've mentioned are illegal. We're currently doing it, but if a neighbor complains we'd be kicked out by the cops immediately. It's already happened at one other spot.

I said hookups would be convenient because you're right, there are workarounds, but no easy/cheap ones. Propane is not an issue, our RV is equipped with propane tanks. We lucked out in that ours already has solar, but in order to do electricity off grid and actually live that way we'd need to install additional panels, buy new batteries, and install some 12V plugs, none of which is going to be cheap at all. If living off grid, then there's the question of where to get fresh water and where to dump your sewage. Portable tanks for both of these can be purchased, but again, then you're hauling large tanks of water and shit every week. Who has the energy for that?

We lived at an RV park for a while, but our spot alone cost $750 plus utilities. Our area is just super expensive to live in, but for the moment we're bound to it because of my job.

We're trying to save up enough money right now to get our RV ready to hit the road and live off grid in areas that haven't criminalized it yet. Trying to find ways to earn enough income so that we're no longer tethered here by my job.