Sharingwood Cohousing

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Rural

What we do

We live on 40 forested acres in south Snohomish County, about 25 miles northeast from Seattle. Sharingwood is a lot-development cohousing model, where members buy lots and build their own homes to meet individual budgets and tastes. There is a mixture of owners and rental spaces and while most homes are pretty middle-class standard we have a small number of alternative dwellings including a cob/straw bale home. We share meals on a regular and ongoing basis and have a bulk food purchasing program that is available to residents.

We use a variety of decision-making approaches, although consensus is the goal on most issues. We empower small groups to make specific decisions that do not really require the input of the entire membership.

In addition to a monthly meeting, we have found that sharing circles can play an important role in nurturing a deeper sense of trust within the community. Here members find an opportunity to come together and share honestly and openly in a safe space.

Initiated by individuals, people do things together like yoga, meditation, sharing resources, organic gardening, work parties, campfires, playfield, concerts, and children’s activities.

The enchanting nature of the native forests and the many trails that surround the community define a village-like setting. Wilderness to some, sanctuary to others, for most it offers a comforting contrast to our workaday world.

Community owned assets : a 23-acre forested greenbelt which wraps around the community on three sides with trails, a campground, a stream, and an active beaver dam; playgrounds and a playfield; productive community gardens and fruit trees.

Our Vision

We have joined on this land to work together to form a community for all ages, to create and maintain healthy relationships among ourselves and the wider community, and to wisely steward the native forest that surrounds us. We strive to provide a living example to ourselves and to the world of a healthy, viable, community-centered neighborhood that exists in harmony with the land we live on.

  • Where each person feels accepted and valued as they are.

  • Where decisions are reached through consensus.

  • Where responsible environmental choices are encouraged.

  • Where children and adults can play, grow and learn in a nurturing atmosphere.

  • I will do my best to:

  • Become conversant with the declarations and other policies decided upon by the Sharingwood community

  • Be attentive to the needs of the Sharingwood environment and community.

  • Contribute my skills and talents to the Sharingwood community.

  • Be an active participant in the committees and governance of Sharingwood.

  • Help resolve troublesome differences in the Sharingwood community.

  • Our Mission

    We have joined on this land to work together to form a community for all ages, to create and maintain healthy relationships among ourselves and the wider community, and to wisely steward the native forest that surrounds us. We strive to provide a living example to ourselves and to the world of a healthy, viable, community-centered neighborhood that exists in harmony with the land we live on.

  • Where each person feels accepted and valued as they are.

  • Where decisions are reached through consensus.

  • Where responsible environmental choices are encouraged.

  • Where children and adults can play, grow and learn in a nurturing atmosphere.

  • I will do my best to:

  • Become conversant with the declarations and other policies decided upon by the Sharingwood community

  • Be attentive to the needs of the Sharingwood environment and community.

  • Contribute my skills and talents to the Sharingwood community.

  • Be an active participant in the committees and governance of Sharingwood.

  • Help resolve troublesome differences in the Sharingwood community.

    • Community type
    • Cohousing
    • 77 Total members
    • Open to new members
    • Open to visitors
    • Open to volunteers
    Total
    77

    Basic expectations or agreements for members

    Visit our website for information on how to contact us for 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

    • 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
    Labor required: 1 hours/week
    Monthly assessment and member involvement.

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

    Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

    Frequency of communal meals

    • 1-3 times per month

    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%

    Self-produced food

    • Up to 33%
    • Land area size
      40 acres

    Reviews

    Location

    • Washington, United States

    Sharingwood Cohousing

    Promoted Needs and Offers

    Need
    Need
    • Communities with Openings
    6 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
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