Berkeley Cohousing, on Sacramento Street in the West Berkeley neighborhood (zip code 94702) near Strawberry Creek, was a family farm dating back to near 1900, with a farmer’s daughter’s cottage added. When the Coop Supermarket (formerly Andronico’s) on University Avenue was built in the 1950s, several small houses were moved to the property, and rented out.
Berkeley Cohousing now consists of 17 homes (14 plus a couple “associate member” households nextdoor) — mainly cottages and duplexes — scattered around a green, that also helps filter and buffer runoff from the parking lot on rooftops.
The group has a “limited equity” arrangement with the city that limits price appreciation to area median income growth plus capital improvements, for 30 years from each resale; buyers have to earn less than 120 or 150 percent of area median income. As a result, prices are now around 50 percent below market, and turnover is very low, running about 1 unit resold every 8-10 years; the seller can select the buyer, subject to the above restrictions.
Nearly half the founders still live in the community, after 3 decades.
We have had a dozen children living in the community, with the largest cluster around 8-12 years old, and the youngest less than a year.
We have occasional work parties and building projects. We celebrate everyone’s birthdays together. The Common House is used for many events such as movie nights, Balkan folk music concerts, housecleaner training, family get-togethers, bookkeeper training meetings, to name a few.
Children are a big part of the community. Parents share childcare, carpools and parenting life. Older kids babysit, mow the lawn and wash cars.
Community members have supported each other through a long development process, and through births, marriages, graduations, great adventures, illnesses, and death.
We would love to have neighbors who are familiar with cohousing principles and are choosing this lifestyle, are financially independent with a stable income; who value our three community meals a week and are willing to participate in cooking and cleaning rotations; who are willing to participate in our monthly general meetings and work on a committee.
Berkeley Cohousing does not maintain a waiting list, but invites interested people to come on regularly scheduled tours.
Being good neighbors
Being good neighbors
purchase/rental opportunities rare; low turnover
See East Bay Cohousing for virtual tours and scheduled events.
Contact us well in advance to make arrangements; guestroom available only to people hosted by a member.
A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: Yes (amount not specified)
Monthly fees/dues: Yes (amount not specified)
Labor required: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
if you can afford a unit and get a mortgage and otherwise qualify
Committee work, workdays, plus cooking/cleaning in meal rotation
purchase of a unit or rental in community
$300-400/mo. in HOA dues per unit
Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Internet, bike sheds, lawn, tool sheds
Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.
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