After a new housemate has lived at The Hive for three months, a check-in is scheduled. The intention is to reflect on how things are going, and if there are any issues that have come up on the part of the new housemate or anyone else living in the community, to address those early. The group may choose to schedule the check-in 1-3 months out if it feels like that will better address the needs of the group but should try to hold it within 6 months of the person moving in.
During our annual retreat, we will set aside some time for each community member to respond to these questions, so we can all have a check-in on an annual basis.
Meeting is set at previous house-meeting
Reminder is sent to all housemates with a link to this document
All are asked to reflect on the questions below as a guide
Opening meeting together with positive affirmations: each housemate will give affirmation to half of the people in the group. One easy way to do that is have each housemate share affirmation for half the people to their left. This way everyone shares and receives the same amount.
New housemate shares about their experience so far
Encouraged to share responses to the questions below, but there is an invitation to share any other important things about the experience so far
Other housemates are invited to ask clarifying questions or additional questions, with the understanding that the new housemate may not have an answer ready if they haven’t seen or heard the question before
Conversation is opened to other housemates, to share thoughts, reflections, concerns, delights
If any significant concerns emerge during the discussion, develop a collective process for how to address the concerns and a timeline for how and when to check in again.
Minor concerns may not need a process to address them or a timeline for checking in, voicing them in this space may be all we need to do.
End with closing affirmation activity: Housemates go around and share affirmation for the people they didn’t share for in the opening activity.
This is an opportunity to tell your story about both the positive and negative aspects of living here, using questions as idea generation tools. Please lean on the questions as little or as much as you would like to suit your communication needs. You may be asked a question by a roommate explicitly for clarification.
What do you like about living at The Hive?
Do you feel at home here? Why or why not?
How is shared food working for you? This can include cooking, eating food others cook, shared grocery shopping, etc.
How have meetings been feeling for you? Is there anything you would like to see changed in how we manage meetings?
How have chores been working for you? This can include the chores you are responsible for and the chores others are responsible for.
How have you felt about community agreements, decision making, processes, and other structures? Do they make sense? Do they work with how you like to communicate and express yourself?
How have you felt about events at the house, guests staying over-night, and friends coming to visit? What is your experience of others in our broader community using our shared space?
How have you been contributing to the community? This could include assigned chores, unassigned domestic tasks, efforts on projects, social and emotional engagements, or any other ways you feel like you are contributing. Do you feel like your contribution roughly matches that of others in the house?
Are there any roommate relationships that have deeply impacted you? How have they affected your mental/ physical/ spiritual well-being?
If you had the resources (money/ time/ energy), would you change your housing situation? Why?