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Building Design:
-energy efficient
-LEED
-passive solar design / natural lighting
-well insulated (including inside e.g., soundproofing)
-individual thermostats in each condo
-reuse existing materials
-flexible spaces (e.g., moveable walls, rooms that could be multipurpose)
-have personal rooms overlook the common area
Food & Outdoor Space:
-grow indoors and out (greenhouse)
-green roof
-food/farmer partnerships
-close to groceries / farmer’s market
-compost
-cold room
-outdoor space/yard/play space
Surrounding Community:
-invite community into cohousing space (events, music, community meetings)
-host workshops (DIY, cooking, gardening)
Cohousing Community:
-regular social interaction (e.g., meals together)
-central common space
-share space and resources
-share skills and learning
-consensus decision-making, participatory
-idea generation, conversation
-collaborate on projects
-bring in the outside community!
Transportation:
-walkable, bikeable
-safe bike and car garage
-central location
-carshare option
Accessibility/Support:
-kids (e.g., shared babysitting)
-seniors (e.g., wheelchair accessible)
-pets
Specific rooms:
-music room
-entertainment room (e.g., stereo, TV)
-work/co-office/meeting space
-playroom
-guest room
-storage
-gym
-shared laundry
Financing:
-business sponsors and donors (materials and money)
Location:
-Riversdale, nutana, city park, north park, varsity view, holiday park
Other Possibilities:
-ground floor commercial
-low income rental units
Ideas written on: http://cohousing.ideatrip.net/home/brainstorm-here
-grow my own food
-rooftop garden / greenhouse / permaculture
-close to a grocery store and/or the farmer's market
-invite the community into our space (e.g., activities, space rental, potlucks, etc.)
-central location in Saskatoon (e.g., Riversdale)
-carshare amongst members (maybe even the neighbourhood)
-renovate existing / reuse building materials
-movie nights
-musicians, artists
-some open outdoor space
-composting
-accessible/friendly for pets
-Inhabitant-facilitated workshops: knitting, bike repair, cooking, baking, etc.
-lots of sunlight
-minimalistic
-trampoline room
-ground floor commercial
-low income rental (sliding scale?)
-shaded area, sandbox, swing?
-basement community space
-live work?
-cold room in basement
-very central common space
-super insulated
-automated blinds/insulating curtains
-exterior shades
-light shelves
-high R windows
-secure bike facility
-north stairwell
-wheelchair accessible
-sound proof construction
Envisioning Exercise April 22, 2012:
Safe and supportive environment
It’s nice to know there are people around who will look out for each other. Cohousing provides the option for regular social interaction without sacrificing privacy.
Sharing
Cohousers appreciate the opportunity to share their skills and talents with other members of the community such as music, fixing bikes, cooking, gardening, etc. Not only that, but by sharing resources, people living in cohousing have access to many more facilities than they would on their own. Gardens, play areas, workshops, darkrooms, crafts rooms, lounges and kitchen and dining areas are often part of cohousing common facilities.
Resident participation
Consensus decision-making empowers all residents. Everyone’s point of view must be shared and considered in planning and managing the community.
Environmentally friendly
Sharing resources with others puts less strain on the environment. Working as a group, there are more opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Lower living costs
Shared meals, bulk buying, sharing of resources, car pooling, sharing baby-sitting, trading goods, and less travel due to more on-site activities are some examples of how daily living costs can be reduced.
Time saving
Cohousers have more free time because of shared meals, shared chores, less travel time due to more on-site activities, and less time minding the kids.
(Adapted from The Cohousing Handbook, 2005, Scotthanson & Scotthanson, pp. 15-16)
-Have meals together
-Share space
-Share talents and skills
-Work together to build where you will be living. You’re not moving into a place that you don’t know people. When you move into a cohousing development, you’ve already built meaningful relationships with the people you are going to live with.
-You can make our own rules. No “management” is there to tell you what you can and cannot do. You make policies/decisions collaboratively.
-Wolf Willow had to have a community meeting to answer questions about the project. The communities that were going to be influenced by the project “okayed” the Wolf Willow development (e.g., the community had the opportunity to state whether they wanted Wolf Willow in the community or not).
-Get support from community associations.
-Look into where you can build without tearing down existing residential and that meets zoning requirements.
-See City of Saskatoon’s zoning bylaws.
-Do land searches (get password for City system to see what property costs, who lives there, and what’s available)
-A lot of commercial land is for sale, but it’s not advertised.
-City has been very supportive.
-City is increasing their infill policy. Brownfield sites are supported to build on.
-Wolf Willow: Once living in their space - $300 a month fees for the first year (condo fees, utilities). Hired someone external to collect fees and manage books.
Potential funding:
www.affinitycu.ca/community/community-development-team/index.html
http://www.affinitycu.ca/common/media/pdfs/community/cd-app-fillable-3.pdf
http://www.affinitycu.ca/common/media/pdfs/community/district3-11.pdf
http://www.cooperators.ca/en/About-Us/foundation/cd.aspx
http://cccm.coopscanada.coop/en/innovative-co-op-projects/guidelines-forms
-First buy an associate membership – $100 for 3 months (money towards coffee and space rental)
-Then associate members can become equity members - $15,000 (go towards condo when you move in)
Wolf Willow approx. costs as of March 17, 2012:
-5 lots of land in riversdale $200,000
-legal, accounting, appraisals $10,500
-architects and consultants $390,000
-marketing $2,300
-project manager $215,000
-misc $13,500
-insurance and bonding $800
-survey, strata, disclosure $2,250
-municipals and DCC’s $1,400
-property tax $3,300
-QS and bank charges $13,000
-lender fee $500
-bank financing costs $14,000
-construction $1,727,000
Total to date: Approx. $2,600,000
Total cost of project: Approx. $7,000,000
-Sell it like a regular condo because you own it.
-Hopefully, if selling occurs, the cohousing members meet the people who are coming in and then the owner can self select a new person/family into the cohousing community that “fits in” to the existing community.
-Cost of purchasing a space in wolf willow: $290,00-400,000 ($350-400 per square feet.)
-Equity cost is taken out of price you’re paying into your unit.
-high efficiency lighting, occupancy and daylight sensors
-fibre optic data connection, onsite isp?
-gigabit ethernet
-wifi
-in suite energy monitors
-nfc access keys
-electric car ports / charging, rapid charge
ground coupled heat recovery VRF
VRF to hydronic in floor heat? / mass floors
natural ventilation? central heat recovery
rain water collection
high efficiency fixtures
solar domestic hot water / VRF waste heat DHW
automated and web accessible
-Personal space: 700-1200 square feet
-Private units have personal kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom
-Wolf Willow: 21 households, 30 individuals
-Average common house is 5000 square feet. This is the heart of the cohousing community.
2:00-4:00pm
Sunday May 6, 2012
Location - Robyn and David's 1206 Elliot St
David and Robyn will be facilitators
-Discuss Homework (e.g., Finding land / space)
-Timeline (when do we want to be living in a cohousing development by, what do we need to do to make this happen)
-Membership (e.g., fees, structure)
Homework to do before the next meeting:
- search for land (see ___)
- think about targets, goals, timeline
When: Sunday, April 22. 2:00-4:00pm
Location: Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop (www.cnyc.ca)
Agenda Items:
-Go over last meeting's notes (see below) - any follow up questions, comments or clarifications?
-Visioning exercise - share our ideas of how/where we want to live.
-Decision-making - give an overview of what consensus decision-making is.
-Facilitation - go over our options of how we conduct meetings and reach consensus.
-Next agenda - form our next agenda and next steps.
"Homework" for this meeting:
--please read last meeting's notes (see below)
--please read about consensus decision-making http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus_decision-making
Wolf Willow's Consensus Principles (click to enlarge)
And, we're just throwing this out there, but we were hoping that people might be able to help contribute towards the cost of space rental. Our thoughts:
-$5 per meeting per person. The reason: rental spaces usually range from $20-40 an hour. E.g. Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop charged us $20/hour for their space last meeting.
-Free for first comers. We want to encourage new people to come check things out.
*We will discuss at this meeting :)
The cohousing meeting is a go for Saturday, March 17 from 2:00-4:00pm. The meeting will be held at the Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop (905 20th Street West). Refreshments and cookies will be available :)
Everyone is invited for supper/drinks at Mike’s after the meeting. His address is 367 Rutherford Cr. (in Sutherland). March 17 is also St. Patrick’s Day, so who knows where that might lead us :)
So as for the meeting, the Wolf Willow Cohousing group has agreed to come talk to us. They will have a panel of 3 or 4 of their members who will be prepared to answer questions about various things to do with cohousing. Another one of their members will be the moderator and ask questions, such as:
-How did the Wolf Willow group begin, grow, shrink, make decisions that shaped the project, hire a project manager and later an architect -- in the first year or so?
-What have the Wolf Willow members come to think are the essential elements of cohousing and what are not elements of cohousing?
-Some criteria they had for the choice of land and how they made the final decisions.
-How they influenced the architect's design of their building.
-How they adopted and then tried to learn and put into practice a consensus model for discussion and decision-making.
-An overview and some specifics of their relationship with the city, i.e. various departments and politicians.
-Some explanation of the legal structure of the cohousing project.
-Some explanation of the financial structure of the cohousing project.
Minutes:
-Introductions
-Reading of Last Minutes
-Visioning (ideas we would like to see in the project)
--greenhouse
--natural lighting
--rooms overlook common area
--storage space
--secure/bike storage
--climate change
--LEED
--greenroof
--commericial space
--low income suites
--Act as a community catalyst
--advocate for things the community might need, grocery store
--Build new or renovation?
Timeframe
--people seem prepared for a 3-4 year wait
Smaller group
--invite anyone else you think would be interested, but not advertise
Multigenerational
--have room for kids that may be repurposed for our parents at some time
Multi phase
--build small then expand in future?
Neighbourhood
--nutana, riversdale, city park, others
Costs
--get businesses behind it? (like shift home)
--repurposed materials
--timing
Community
--supporting, collaborating
--ideas
--public house
--games night
--child raising
Consensus / Facilitation
--Discussed principles of consensus decision making
--consensus signal cards
--Facilitation roles will be shared
--reviewed conduct values
--we'll look at passing these through consensus at following meeting
Date & Time: Saturday March 17, 2012 2:00-4:00pm
Location: Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop
In Attendance: 24
Introductions - who’s in the room and why are they interested in cohousing?
Discussion led by Wolf Willow Cohousing members:
How is cohousing different from condo living?
-Have meals together
-Share space
-Share talents and skills
-Work together to build where you will be living. You’re not moving into a place that you don’t know people. When you move into a cohousing development, you’ve already built meaningful relationships with the people you are going to live with.
-You can make our own rules. No “management” is there to tell you what you can and cannot do. You make policies/decisions collaboratively.
How do you make the decision making democratic and collaborative?
-You are all a director on the board. You are expected to take part and attend the meetings.
-Goal: consensus model (at least try)
-Dissenting voices will be carefully listened to and considered. If it comes down to it, you will vote and some people will oppose (but that’s not what you reach for first).
-Some matters take longer than others.
-Vote on matters that people won’t budge on (colours of paint and flooring!)
-Revisit matters when needed.
-Set up collaborative principles of consensus decision-making. Abide by them always.
-From the time that you join, you have to be aware of how decisions are made. Members have to agree to the consensus decision-making model and any principles that are created collaboratively.
-Use creative facilitation tools (e.g., fish bowl technique. See book Collaborative Learning Techniques)
-People who join in at a later stage have to understand that the decisions that have already been made generally can’t be reversed (e.g., cupboards and flooring decisions)
-Everyone came in with their own vision and dreams. Great to think big first and then pare it down. You can’t get everything you dreamed of, but maybe you can get all the core things people are interested in integrated into the plans.
-Emotions will run high at times. Treat everyone’s feelings sensitively, but understand when you have to move on. Don’t hold on to something (grudge) if you don’t get your way.
How did the wolf willow project get off the ground?
-Met in January 2008. Sent out message to friends and friends of friends. First conversations started as “how are we going to / how do we want to live in the future?”
-Met once a month on Saturday afternoons.
-Established the values of the group right off the bat. “I’m not going to get into this project if I don’t share values with those I’m going to live with.”
-After a year of meeting once a month, group started to shrink and become more consistent (same people would come over and over). This group led the project. More people joined as they developed.
-They had information meetings to recruit and explain what they were doing.
-Make criteria (e.g., 2 km from downtown, age range of members, building design “must haves”)
-Developed a company. Then, as a company, they hired an architect and a contractor. As a company, they were expected to raise 25% of the cost of the building. They had to make arrangements with a lender.
-Bought the land after developing a company (through collaborative, consensus-based decision-making of course)
-They chose a contractor company to advise them as they went along. The contractor would come quite regularly to the meetings. Really good to have someone create/realize the members’ vision – the cohousing members directed the project. Very good idea to hire a contract manager!
-Once they had the land, they talked to an architect. The architects helped make the timeline and realize the goals of the cohousing project.
-The cohousing company’s Board of Directors is made up of one member of each household.
-The company will dissolve when they move in. Legally they have to make a condominium board (one member of each household) once they move in.
What are the essential elements of cohousing?
-Participatory process (planning, design, values, responsible as a group for final decisions)
-Active participation of members from the very beginning. Meetings: make decisions there + a forum for members to discuss issues. “Active” and purposeful meetings.
-Use design/building aspects to foster social interaction (e.g., have to walk through common space to get to individual condos).
-Create informal gathering spaces (design them into the building).
-Common facilities!!! Common areas are designed for daily use and to supplement private living areas.
-Average common house is 5000 square feet. This is the heart of the cohousing community.
-Other common spaces: exercise room, workshop, laundry room …
-Nonhierarchical. Decisions and control are shared by cohousing members. Responsibilities are divided by how much a person feels they can contribute. No one is taxed with too much responsibility, but on the other hand, everyone is expected to participate.
-It’s the longest running personal growth project you’ll ever experience!
Personal units:
-Sell it like a regular condo because you own it.
-Hopefully, if selling occurs, the cohousing members meet the people who are coming in and then the owner can self select a new person/family into the cohousing community that “fits in” to the existing community.
-Personal space: 700-1200 square feet
-Cost of purchasing a space in wolf willow: $290,00-400,000 ($350-400 per square feet.)
-Equity cost is taken out of price you’re paying into your unit.
-Private units have personal kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom
-Wolf Willow: 21 households, 30 individuals
Maintenance:
-Whoever makes the mess is expected to clean it up.
-Establish a cleaning group made up of cohousing members to do a clean sweep of commons spaces once a month. This group changes every month.
-Hire help when no one there is capable of fixing it.
-Hire cleaning service if desired.
-Future repair funds start from the very beginning.
Zoning / living in a community:
-Look into where you can build without tearing down existing residential and that meets zoning requirements.
-See City of Saskatoon’s zoning bylaws.
-Do land searches (get password for City system to see what property costs, who lives there, and what’s available)
-A lot of commercial land is for sale, but it’s not advertised.
-City has been very supportive.
-Wolf Willow had to have a community meeting to answer questions about the project. The communities that were going to be influenced by the project “okayed” the Wolf Willow development (e.g., the community had the opportunity to state whether they wanted Wolf Willow in the community or not).
-City is increasing their infill policy. Brownfield sites are supported to build on.
-Get support from community associations.
Wolf Willow approx. costs to date:
-5 lots of land in riversdale $200,000
-legal, accounting, appraisals $10,500
-architects and consultants $390,000
-marketing $2,300
-project manager $215,000
-misc $13,500
-insurance and bonding $800
-survey, strata, disclosure $2,250
-municipals and DCC’s $1,400
-property tax $3,300
-QS and bank charges $13,000
-lender fee $500
-bank financing costs $14,000
-construction $1,727,000
Total to date: Approx. $2,600,000
Total cost of project: Approx. $7,000,000
Other financial FYIs:
-First buy an associate membership – $100 for 3 months (money towards coffee and space rental)
-Then associate members can become equity members - $15,000 (go towards condo when you move in)
-Project manager is in charge of managing and keeping track of large project expenses.
-Wolf willow had no outside investors, although this is possible.
-Costs less to live in cohousing there over the long run (energy efficient building, resource sharing).
-Once living there: $300 a month fees for the first year (condo fees, utilities). Hired someone external to collect fees and manage books.
Wolf Willow contacts:
Architect: Peter Treuheit (mobius architecture in BC) and Paul Blaser / Laurie ___ (RBM architecture in Saskatoon)
Project Manager: Ronaye Matthew (CDC consulting)
Bank: Conexsus Credit Union
Contract Manager: Ledcor
Creating Cohousing
http://books.google.ca/books?id=i9xtOCTyzM4C&lpg=PP1&dq=creating%20cohousing&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
The Cohousing Handbook
http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Ecovillages_and_Low_Impact_Development/The_Cohousing_Handbook-Building_a_Place_for_Community.pdf
http://www.cohousing.ca/
http://www.wolfwillowcohousing.ca/
Wolf Willow contacts:
Architect: Peter Treuheit (mobius architecture in BC) and Paul Blaser / Laurie ___ (RBM architecture in Saskatoon)
Project Manager: Ronaye Matthew (CDC consulting)
Bank: Conexsus Credit Union
Contract Manager: Ledcor
-Whoever makes the mess is expected to clean it up.
-Establish a cleaning group made up of cohousing members to do a clean sweep of commons spaces once a month. This group changes every month.
-Hire help when no one there is capable of fixing it.
-Hire cleaning service if desired.
-Future repair funds start from the very beginning.
How did the wolf willow project get off the ground?
-Met in January 2008. Sent out message to friends and friends of friends. First conversations started as “how are we going to / how do we want to live in the future?”
-Met once a month on Saturday afternoons.
-Established the values of the group right off the bat. “I’m not going to get into this project if I don’t share values with those I’m going to live with.”
-After a year of meeting once a month, group started to shrink and become more consistent (same people would come over and over). This group led the project. More people joined as they developed.
-They had information meetings to recruit and explain what they were doing.
-Make criteria (e.g., 2 km from downtown, age range of members, building design “must haves”)
-Developed a company. Then, as a company, they hired an architect and a contractor. As a company, they were expected to raise 25% of the cost of the building. They had to make arrangements with a lender.
-Bought the land after developing a company (through collaborative, consensus-based decision-making of course)
-They chose a contractor company to advise them as they went along. The contractor would come quite regularly to the meetings. Really good to have someone create/realize the members’ vision – the cohousing members directed the project. Very good idea to hire a contract manager!
-Once they had the land, they talked to an architect. The architects helped make the timeline and realize the goals of the cohousing project.
-The cohousing company’s Board of Directors is made up of one member of each household.
-The company will dissolve when they move in. Legally they have to make a condominium board (one member of each household) once they move in
Negotiation Analysis
http://books.google.ca/books?id=Hb3zkrDNwwQC&lpg=PR11&ots=AUSYb5zfzR&dq=collaborative%20decision%20making&lr&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Decision Making Solutions
http://www.decision-making-solutions.com/Collaborative_Decision_Making.html
*Collaborative Learning Techniques
http://books.google.ca/books?id=9LkEfvKe1LwC&lpg=PP7&ots=TSqSWYZafJ&dq=collaborative%20learning%20techniques&lr&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Vargas, R. (2008). Family activism: Empowering your community, beginning with family and friends. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Consensus Decision Making Process
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Consensus-flowchart.png
Description:
-Discuss the decision that is to be made with the goal of identifying opinions and information on the topic at hand. The general direction of the group and potential proposals for action are often identified during the discussion.
-Come up with a formal decision (“make a motion”) based on the group’s discussion. E.g., The facilitator or a group member might say, “Based on the discussion, I believe we should decide to pursue [decision A].”
-Have the facilitator do a call for consensus by asking, “Does everyone agree with [decision A]?” Each member of the group must actively state their agreement with the proposal by raising a green card to avoid the group interpreting silence or inaction as agreement (see next page for more details on coloured cards).
-Identify and address concerns if consensus is not achieved. Each dissenter presents their concerns and/or provides alternate solutions, potentially starting another round of discussion to address or clarify the concern.
-Modify the decision if the dissenters are still not satisfied with the decision after another round of discussion. Amendments or re-phrasing can be attempted, or a new decision altogether may be offered. The process then returns to the call for consensus and the cycle is repeated until a satisfactory decision is made.
Coloured cards:
During discussion, you may indicate one of the following by flashing one of 3 cards.
-Red: used to indicate that someone has not followed the agreed upon Consensus Decision-Making Principles or Conduct Values. It could also be used to identify when the group has gone off topic or if speakers go over allowed time limits.
-Yellow: used to indicate that you are able to clarify a point being discussed or answer a question being posed. Can also be used to ask for a clarification. “What did you mean by this.”
-Green: used to be added to the speakers list.
When determining whether or not a decision should occur, you may indicate one of the following by flashing one of 3 cards.
-Red: used to “block” (a block indicates opposition to the proposed decision). When a member, or members, uses a red card, it becomes their responsibility to identify why they are opposed to the decision at hand, as well as help come up with a solution that will work for everyone. Blocks are generally considered to be an extreme measure, only used when a member feels the decision would endanger the group or an individual, or violate the missions or principles of the organization.
-Yellow: used to register a “stand aside” to the proposal (a stand aside means the decision is adopted with unresolved concerns; these concerns should be stated, as well as explicitly listed in the minutes). If there are significant reservations about a motion, the decision-making body may choose to modify or re-word the proposal.
-Green: used to indicate consent.
Conduct Values:
We agree with the following statements:
-We will create a safe space for everyone. We want everyone to feel comfortable and respected.
-We acknowledge that everyone (including ourselves) has answers and valuable knowledge to share.
-We do not need to agree with everyone; however, we will remain respectful.
-We will speak up, as well as leave space for others to speak. Hearing everyone’s opinions, ideas, needs, and feelings will help make our community stronger and lead to better discussion and decision-making.
-Silence cannot always be interpreted correctly. We will be clear and honest regarding our positions and ask if we need something clarified. This will help us to better understand one another.
-We will not interrupt others, nor dominate conversations.
-We will listen intently and really try to understand each other.
-We will be respectful of time.
-We value respect, democracy, and non-hierarchy. These values will inform our actions.
-We believe that a strong community life includes both work and play. Celebration is key to our wellbeing.
-We value sustainability and will consider our impacts on the earth and each other.
-We will take responsibility for our actions.
-We value humility and sensitivity. Emotions may run high at times and we will treat everyone’s feelings sensitively; however, we will not be resentful if someone disagrees with us or if we do not get our way.
-We wish to achieve a high quality of life by living together and interacting with one another. Should we come in conflict with one another, our ways of responding will be based on respect, good manners, and coming to a solution that works for all parties.
Facilitation:
The roles of the facilitator(s) are to:
-Move through the agenda on time.
-Ensure the group adheres to the mutually agreed-upon Consensus Decision-Making Principles and Conduct Values.
-Provide structure and guidance to the meetings (not control the outcome).
-Lead the conversations and consensus decision-making process.
-Encourage feedback.
-Aim for respectful communication.
-Ensure thorough notes are taken (e.g., arrange for someone to be the note taker*).
*The role of the note taker or secretary is to document the decisions, discussion, and action points of the decision-making body.
-You are all a director on the board. You are expected to take part and attend the meetings.
-The Wolf Willow cohousing company’s Board of Directors is made up of one member of each household.
Consensus Decision Making Principles
We will make decisions based on:
-Knowledge and acceptance of consensus decision-making. We will consistently apply consensus decision-making principles when decisions need to be made.
-Achieving a common purpose. Decisions will be made collaboratively, in which shared interest and agreement will be thoroughly sought.
-Cooperation. We will look for creative ways to address and satisfy as many of our needs as possible.
-Participation. We understand the need to attend discussions and offer ideas in order for consensus decision-making to work well. We will adequately prepare for meetings when necessary.
-Getting full consent, not necessarily full agreement. Sometimes we will have to let go of our personal attachments in order to achieve common interests. We understand that “being heard” does not necessarily mean the group will decide to use our ideas.
-Valuing everyone’s opinions and input. We will listen to, consider, and respect all perspectives that come forward.
-Shared facilitation. We will take turns facilitating meetings and/or discussions. We will prepare adequately when it is time for us to take on this role.
-Creating a respectful and safe space. We wish to foster an atmosphere of trust, in which everyone can comfortably and freely share their ideas, hopes, fears, and experiences.
-Egalitarianism. All members of a consensus decision-making body should be afforded, as much as possible, equal input into the process. All members have the opportunity to present and amend proposals.
-Inclusiveness. Relevant stakeholders and community members outside of the cohousing group should be considered and/or involved in the decision-making process.
-Documentation. We will keep written records of the decisions that are made. These notes will be made accessible to everyone in the group.
-Voting as a last resort. If we are unable to reach a decision after three meetings or if a decision must be determined quickly, we will bring the decision to a majority rules vote (2/3 of members must be present).
*Adapted from Wolf Willow’s Principles of Consensus Decision-Making and other sources.
Other notes:
-“Consensus decision-making is a cooperative process in which a group of members develop and agree to support a decision that is in the best interest of the whole”
–Tree Bressen
-Goal: consensus model (at least try)
-Set up collaborative principles of consensus decision-making. Abide by them always.
-Some matters take longer than others.
-Revisit matters when needed.
-Dissenting voices will be carefully listened to and considered. If it comes down to it, you will vote and some people will oppose (but that’s not what you reach for first).
-Vote on matters that people won’t budge on (colours of paint and flooring!) e.g., if a decision can't be made using consensus in three meetings, it will go to a vote. e.g., if the decision has to be made immediately, there will be a vote at the end of the meeting if consensus couldn't be reached
-From the time that you join, you have to be aware of how decisions are made. Members have to agree to the consensus decision-making model and any principles that are created collaboratively.
-People who join in at a later stage have to understand that the decisions that have already been made generally can’t be reversed (e.g., cupboards and flooring decisions)
-Emotions will run high at times. Treat everyone’s feelings sensitively, but understand when you have to move on. Don’t hold on to something (grudge) if you don’t get your way.
-Participatory process (planning, design, values, responsible as a group for final decisions)
-Active participation of members from the very beginning. Meetings: make decisions there + a forum for members to discuss issues. “Active” and purposeful meetings.
-Use design/building aspects to foster social interaction (e.g., have to walk through common space to get to individual condos).
-Create informal gathering spaces (design them into the building).
-Common facilities!!! Common areas are designed for daily use and to supplement private living areas.
-Other common spaces: exercise room, workshop, laundry room …
-Nonhierarchical. Decisions and control are shared by cohousing members. Responsibilities are divided by how much a person feels they can contribute. No one is taxed with too much responsibility, but on the other hand, everyone is expected to participate.
-It’s the longest running personal growth project you’ll ever experience!
-Everyone came in with their own vision and dreams. Great to think big first and then pare it down. You can’t get everything you dreamed of, but maybe you can get all the core things people are interested in integrated into the plans.
