Our Social Experiment 

WHAT IS COHOUSING? 

Cohousing attempts to overcome the social isolation of modern subdivisions in which neighbors don’t know each other. It began in Denmark in the late 1960s, and spread to North America in the late 1980s.

Our community is made up of self-sufficient private condominiums, along with extensive common facilities and grounds. Cohousers are consciously committed to living as a community. Relationships are highly valued, and we must be open to communicating and resolving differences respectfully. We are also self-managed, meaning we do the organizational, clerical, and physical work that keeps our community running. 

To learn more about cohousing, check out Cohousing Alliance.

HOW DO WE MAKE DECISIONS? 

We are learning to use an organizational system called Sociocracy and make decisions by consent.  Sociocracy For All defines Sociocracy as "a governance method that aims to create psychologically safe environments and productive organizations. It emphasizes consent-based decision-making rather than majority voting, allowing all members to have a voice in discussions. Key principles include equality, self-organization, and collaboration among individuals with shared goals." 

THE ECOSYSTEM OF CONSENT

Consent can be defined as the act or process of agreeing or approving something. One way to approach community is to think of it as an interconnected ecosystem. To thrive, we need conditions that meet the range of tolerance of all parts of the system. It is vital to us that we live and work together in a way that honors our diversity and promotes fairness. To that end, we have been working with Sociocracy, which uses consent-based decision-making. Members ask themselves if a proposal is "good enough for now, safe enough to try." If not and there is an objection that the proposal would bring harm to the community, go against our values, or impede the previously authorized work of a team, the group works to find an acceptable adaptation.