Swan's Market Cohousing

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

Swan’s Market Cohousing is an urban co-housing community with 20 units, located in the preserved and retrofitted 1917 Swan’s Market building in the historic Old Oakland neighborhood. It is North America’s 50th Cohousing community, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an award-winning innovative mixed-used historic-preservation project, restoring an abandoned old market building.

In addition to our Cohousing community, Swan’s Market includes affordable rental apartments, retail stores, restaurants, professional offices, public courtyard and is the former home of the Museum of Children’s Art.

All the traditional components of Cohousing are active here, including common meals 3x/week, monthly work parties, and neighbors helping neighbors. Participation and engagement in the community is high, with residents sharing food from our community garden, tools, time, friendship, resources, and skills. Located in the heart of thriving Old Oakland, Swan’s Market Cohousing is 2 blocks from BART, 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco or downtown Berkeley by BART, has a Walkability Score of 98/100 and just about every service you can imagine within a few blocks, including the Farmers Market on Washington & 9th Streets each Friday. Though urban, our outdoor space – “Swan’s Way” – is generously planted with fruit trees, vegetables, and artful patio gardens. Our outdoor table is a community gathering spot.

Community amenities include a 3,500 square foot common house with large kitchen and dining area, kids’ play room, exercise room, laundry, workshop, community garden, guest room, large patio for dining/entertaining.  We value our three community meals a week and residents commit to participating in cooking rotations, as well as additional tasks necessary to support the maintenance and self-management of our community.

Our Vision

Urban Cohousing

Our Mission

Urban Cohousing

  • Community type
  • Cohousing

Gallery

  • 34 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
34

How to join

Through resale

Basic expectations or agreements for members

If you are interested in a tour of our community, we would be glad to show you around and tell you about this unique project. We have a small guest room in our common house which we reserve for our friends and family, and for residents of other Cohousing communities. Guests are asked for a small donation. —– Please click the “Email This Community” button above to communicate with us and one of our hosts will help coordinate your visit.

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: Yes (amount not specified)
Labor required: Yes
common meal preparation, regular work days, ongoing maintenance tasks and and committee meetings.

unit purchase prices $300k and up; rarely available

Homeowners dues $240-$370/mo.

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

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Workshop, Swingsets & play areas, Gym or sports area, Internet

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
  • Quaker
  • Unitarian Universalist

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    0.3 acres

Reviews

Location

  • California, United States

Swan's Market Cohousing

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