Scroll down to comment or rave this story!

  • 2 raves

Condo Associations Continentwide Relax HOA Regulations to Allow Food Production in Common Areas

Food Crisis Forces Innovation, Chicken Coops Crop Up in Condo Common Areas
Neal Gorenflo

The food crisis is reaching into the most resistant to change bureaucracies including crusty condominium home owners associations.  Many are now encouraging food production in common areas, something that would have been scoffed at just a few years ago.

 The trend began in Phoenix Arizona where the high cost and scarcity of water and food forced some condo associations to rethink how they use their common areas.

Cypress Glen home owners association in Scottsdale, Arizona is one association on the leading edge of change.  Two years ago, they redesigned and replanted their common areas for food production.  This helped the homeowners recoup the cost of buying water and increase the availability of affordable, safe, fresh food. 

The board of Cypress Glenn realized that it no longer made sense to pay water and maintenance fees to grow grass and other inedible plants.  The costs were too high. Two years later, Cypress Glen residents have become skilled biodynamic gardeners and provide 60% of homeowners' produce needs through onsite cultivation.  And interior common areas - those that are surrounded by structures - are ideal locations for food production as it is convenient to tend and guard from food pirates.

Resident Ridley Ondeo says of the program, "I cut fresh salad green just before eating, so I not only save money with our gardening program, but I've increased the pleasure of eating.  Food tastes better.  My kids love gardening to boot, and I'm happy they're learning a practical skill."

The trend spread quickly to other condo associations through the Condo Survival Network (CSN), a knowledge and skill sharing social enterprise that helps condo associations cope with increasing costs and regulations of the condominium form of ownership.  CSN facilitated the development of new boilerplate that could be easily incorporated into the documents which govern condo associations.  Adoption and adaptation of the new language has been rapid, especially after last summers drought.  Over 5,000 associations in the former USA have adopted the provisions.

 The CSN is looking for ways to accelerate this trend as well as find new innovations that could help solve the other superthreats.  Any ideas?  Suggestions welcomed.

 

Oct 15


Please login or register to add a comment


  • PlatonicJensen
    Oct 15
    I wish my own homeowners association was that adaptable.
  • Ruud Dirven
    Oct 15
    Food growing makes a difference. If all people were wasting their unemployed hours growing food rather than playing MMORPS, things would be a good bit better. ....... BUT ...... government officials peddling citizens growing food has been a process of over-used or abused rhetoric. It's become to ingrained in a few years - can't stand dole yeast? Vitamin deficient? Go grow your own food. Most people CAN'T. The government uses this "victory garden" line as a stick to beat a dead horse. The politicians cannot create a solution to 80% inner city dwellers (and it's a lot worse in third world countries) than will NEVER be able to grow their own food. So every time I read yet another victory garden blog or witless idiots crooning over their aubergines, I want to hit someone over the head. This is no solution - this is cheap propaganda. Are authorities setting up inner city people up for a mass extinction-by-famine road? If they are, we will not go quietly.
  • Neal Gorenflo
    Oct 15
    Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, it says something about the strength of the threat that condo associations would loosen up. And I have my food propaganda radar on now Ruud.
Nominate For A Badge

Badge:
More detail on badges



NOMINATE CANCEL