Capitol Hill Urban CoHousing

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

We are a very diverse community in an incredibly dense neighborhood in Seattle – Capitol Hill. We have all of our 9 households with children between ages 5 and 19 years old and our adults range from mid-30’s to mid-70’s.

We have 9 units on 4500sf lot (smaller than the typical Seattle single family lot). Our property is located 3 blocks from light rail and has great bus access. We built with high Built-Green and LEED guidelines achieving as many high-performance sustainability metrics for energy and water usage as much as was financially feasible both now and planning for future upgrades.

We broke ground in late October, 2014 and took occupancy in June, 2016. Please note we are a unique hybrid model. All members paid a minimal joining fee of $30,000 to join our LLC. The members built the apartment building and we are self-managed. We pay market rate rents which will be kept artificially as stable as possible, rather than increasing with the market. This is intended to entice longevity. In 2024 we had our first household turn-over since move in. It’s unlikely we’ll have any openings but to be notified please join our mailing list on our website. That is where any short-term rentals or long-term residencies would be announced.

Our Vision

We are an urban community bridging generations, aiming to be good neighbors on Capitol Hill. We value sharing and seek health, both for ourselves and our planet. Our Values include:
* Sharing
* Environmental Awareness
* Intergenerational
* Neighborhood Partnership
* Healthy Individuals
* Healthy Community

Our Mission

We are an urban community bridging generations, aiming to be good neighbors on Capitol Hill. We value sharing and seek health, both for ourselves and our planet. Our Values include:
* Sharing
* Environmental Awareness
* Intergenerational
* Neighborhood Partnership
* Healthy Individuals
* Healthy Community

  • Community type
  • Cohousing

Gallery

  • 22 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
22

How to join

We use a self-selecting process to see if our community is a good fit for you and vice versa.

 

  1. You would start by completing an online questionnaire to help us to get to know you.
  2. We’ll create an opportunity for you to tour and ask questions.
  3. After that we’ll invite you to attend some community meals and conversations to get to know us better.
  4. Once you’re sure and we’re sure, we’ll ask you to provide 3 references and to complete an application for a background check. Then you’ll sign the Operating Agreement and pay your Initial Capital Contribution. Eventually, we mutually agree on a move-in timeline & you sign your lease.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

There are typically monthly tours lead by our commercial tenant and architect Schemata Workshop. These are usually on Saturday mornings but be sure to check our website’s tour page for info and link to register. https://capitolhillurbancohousing.org/tours/

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

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

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • 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

Join fee: Yes (amount not specified)
Monthly fees/dues: Yes (amount not specified)
Labor: Encouraged or suggested
originally $30,000 buys into LLC. we are a rental community…this amount is likely to be increased in the future
originally $50/month membership plus market-rate rent monthly…currently we ask folks to contribute as they can
Since we are very small everyone must actively participate in the work of the community. We do not set requirements or track hours.

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

Common House, Garden(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Internet, guest room, laundry, outdoor spaces

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Jewish

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    0.1 acres

Reviews

Location

  • Washington, United States

Capitol Hill Urban CoHousing

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
Need
11 months ago

Travel to visit intentional communities with Ecovillage Tours ✈️

Ready to actually visit some communities? Take the next step on your journey towards intentional community living. Join an Ecovillage Tour! ✓ All-inclusive guided trips ✓ Visit a variety of communities, cohousings & ecovillages ✓ Meet community founders & residents ✓ Learn group governance, permaculture, eco-living & more ✓ Make lifelong friends within your traveling group ✓ Transformative adventure awaits! About Ecovillage Tours The only transformative travel experience that brings you to regenerative intentional communities. Find your next home, get guidance on how to start a community, or simply have a values-aligned vacation. www.ecovillagetours.com Upcoming Trips  Vermont | Jul 19–26, 2025   Italy | Sept 30–Oct 9, 2025   Hawaii | Jan 4–11, 2026   India | Feb 26–Mar 12, 2026  Bali | Jan 26–Feb 4, 2026  Costa Rica: Central | Jan 17–24, 2026 Southern | Feb 4–15, 2026 Caribbean | Mar 21–30, 2026 Guanacaste | April 12–21, 2026 See all the pricing, lodging, and itinerary information on the webpage for each tour. Or explore them all at www.ecovillagetours.com/upcoming-tours. Spots on trips are limited and fill up quickly. Book your spot today!   Questions? Email us at [email protected] Call us at +1 (734) 245-8745 Or schedule a 30-min Discovery Call with our team.   We look forward to hearing from you! Excited to journey together soon, —Cynthia Ecovillage Tours, Founder Hear what many past tour participants have to say about their experience:   “For anyone thinking of joining or starting an intentional community, or an ecovillage, this is an absolute must.” — Adam Bates, tour participant       “I had an amazing time on the tour!  It gave me an opportunity to experience things that I could have never done on my own.” — Lobsterbird, tour participant       “It is an experience worth paying for. You get to know places and people who are on the real hands on effort for bringing change and make local ecosystems more resilient.” — Eduardo Bryce, tour participant

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