I’m new. Very interested in joining a community but have no idea where to start. I have a great work ethic and a can do attitude that I can bring to the table. I’m looking for some direction. Any guidance on getting started on the journey would be greatly appreciated.
So I’m going to answer this question in the manner of its title, as those are important questions to ask yourself.
Who: Who are the people you feel good with? Who is in a community that you would enjoy living in? Some communities are multi-generational, some communities when they’re new have lots of 20-somethings and 30-somethings in them. Some communities are for elders only. Some communities are population-specific, such as communities for vegans, or people who share a religeous/belief system, or an lgbtq+ community , Etc.
What: What type of community do you want? Do you want a community in which people each own their own house but share common areas? Do you want a community that focusses on permiculture, sustainability, gardening, raising goats, art, music, specific childrearing modalities, teaching, doing community businesses together etc.? And regarding income, do you want a community where income is partially shared? Fully shared? Only a monthly dues fee + some community work?
Where: Where are you willing to live geographically? Do you need to stay near where you are now? Do you want to get a new start in a new city? Do you want your own house in the community? Do you want a tinyhouse? Do you want flats or townhouses or duplexes to live in? Do you want a commonhouse? What other types of community amenities do you hope for? Do you want to live in a land-based community? Do you want a more urban community in the middle of the big city? Do you want something inbetween?
You can check the communities directory on the FIC website, they have a variety of different types of communities. You can also look at cohousing dot org’s directory or Global Ecovillage Network’s directory.
Also ask yourself if you are someone who could do cofounding or if you’re someone who needs to join an established community. Founding is super hard but can be rewarding and involves connecting closely with other cofounders and creating something new, from getting land to building infastructure to creating by-laws etc. Joining is easier as many of those things are already in place, but joining means you won’t get to decide all the preliminary things, however most communities engage in collective decision-making of some kind, so your voice will still be heard.