Vashon Cohousing

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Rural

What we do

We are a cohousing community of 19 families occupying 18 detached residences (17 single-family units and 1 duplex). We are located a quarter mile from the Vashon town center. Vashon is an island in Puget Sound, and is about 40 minutes (by a combined bus or car and ferry trip) from downtown Seattle.

We enjoy organic gardening, spontaneous potlucks and gatherings, commemorating our thirty year history, and tending our beautiful 13 acres.

Our Vision

Cohousing community

Our Mission

Cohousing community

  • Community type
  • Cohousing

Gallery

  • 55 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
55

How to join

Before purchasing a home here, we ask that interested people come to at least three community meetings, attend work parties, potlucks, and committee meetings, and take the time to get to know us here and understand what would be expected of you were you to buy a home here. The process can take 3-4 months before a sales agreement can be finalized.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

To arrange a visit, contact the email address given above. Tours are given infrequently.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Monthly fees/dues: $125.00
Labor required: 2 hours/week
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
3 hour/month work party in addition to at least one committee assignment

Monthly dues are currently $95/unit

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Gym or sports area

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    12.8 acres

Reviews

Location

  • Washington, United States

Vashon Cohousing

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
  • Communities with Openings
5 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul

Join our newsletter to stay up to date.

By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

Free Plan

Free plan
Free

Advertise in our Directory

  • Subtotal

    {{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}

Become a + Member

  • Send Direct Messages and see contact information
  • Find communities based on your profile tool
  • Post Needs & Offers Listings and Events
  • Access to resources in the Members Library /// like vetted documents uploaded by communites (e.g. bylaws )
  • Member badge on your profile
  • View communities detailed reviews
  • Create Private Groups