Belfast is a city of 7,000 people located in midcoast Maine between Camden and Bar Harbor. The city features an active waterfront and lively arts community and is the center of business, services, and government for the surrounding county. Traditional housing in the Belfast area falls into two main categories: in-town residential neighborhoods and rural, large-lot homesteads. Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is a community that combines the best elements of both types: located in a rural area with clustered housing and shared infrastructure, but working to preserve neighboring open land for wildlife, recreation, and farming, while fostering a close-knit, cooperative, and intentionally ecological way of life.
We are a group of roughly 70 people from many walks of life. We are business owners, educators, naturalists, gardeners, builders, farmers, health care providers, writers, musicians, and children. Our 42-acre community is located just two miles from Belfast’s downtown and harbor. We are within 1.5 miles of elementary, middle, and high schools, a YMCA, and grocery and retail stores.
All of our homes are highly energy-efficient, with triple-pane windows and doors, lots of insulation, and are oriented toward the sun. Two-thirds of the homes have solar systems, making them near net-zero for energy consumption. Personal garden plots are available, and we have a community orchard and high tunnel for winter greens. We also have a 3-acre worker share CSA farm on our property that is currently dormant, where neighbors have gathered to harvest veggies and maintain the land.
Our 4,000 sq ft common house has a living room, dining room, playroom, guest rooms, and root cellar. We enjoy weekly events including music, educational seminars, movies, games, potlucks and social gatherings.
Please visit our website for more information on visiting us or to learn more about the available homes. All the units are either owner-occupied or rented directly by the owner.
The mission of Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is to be a model environmentally sustainable, affordable, multi-generational cohousing community that is easily accessible to Belfast, includes land reserved for agricultural use and open space, and is an innovative housing option for rural Maine.
The mission of Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is to be a model environmentally sustainable, affordable, multi-generational cohousing community that is easily accessible to Belfast, includes land reserved for agricultural use and open space, and is an innovative housing option for rural Maine.
Please contact Mary at [email protected].
A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.
Organized in circles or domains with distributed authority.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: Yes (amount not specified)
Monthly fees/dues: $200
Labor required: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Outbuilding(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet
Smaller municipalities with local services but rural character.
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