North Oakland Cohousing

Events

Get Involved

Want to get involved with North Oakland Cohousing? We are looking for people to join us and support us.

If you are interested in joining us, we invite you to attend an information session and then come to a general meeting. If you like what you see, you can apply to become an associate and then an equity member.

If you are not ready to join us, but are interested in and want to support our community and project, check the Events section for listed upcoming events. You can also become a friend of North Oakland Cohousing.

Information Sessions

Come to an information session: One of the best ways to find out what's happening with North Oakland Cohousing is to come to an information session. This is a required step for all adult members of any household which is considering joining North Oakland Cohousing. We encourage all members of your household to attend this session so everyone is on the same page. Topics of discussion will include a history of our project, cohousing in general, consensus decision making—and much more, with plenty of time for your questions.

Info sessions are held regularly. If you're interested in attending, please check for the date in the Events calendar on the right side of this page. To RSVP and find out the location, or for any other questions, email NOCJoin@yahoogroups.com

All information sessions require an RSVP.

General Meetings

Observe a General Meeting: General meetings are one of the main venues where our group conducts its business, and a chance for you to see and hear how the group participants communicate and interact. Please RSVP so we know you're coming. Child care is available with prior notice.

Events

Please get in touch if you would like to attend an event.

Participation Info

North Oakland Cohousing has two participation categories: Associates and Equity Members. Membership is by household. Brief descriptions are below.

Associate Info

If you think you might like to live in North Oakland Cohousing within the next two to three years, and you are willing to put in the time and financial resources to be an active participant of the group, you can pursue Associate status with North Oakland Cohousing.

Associates are non-equity participants of the group (they do not yet own a share of the project) but have expressed serious interest in group involvement and are pursuing the possibility of becoming Equity Members. Associates pay non-refundable administrative fees and actively participate in group activity and decisions. However, they cannot consent to or block a group decision and are not guaranteed a unit.

Upon joining, all new members (both Associate and Equity) agree to inherit the structure and direction already adopted by the group, and to work within the group’s framework. For example, all members are bound by the group’s participation policy. An Associate household may apply to become an Equity Member after being an active Associate for six consecutive weeks.

Equity Member Info

Equity Members are full participants who are seriously committed to getting the project built and have made an equity contribution to North Oakland Cohousing. Unlike Associates, Equity Members are guaranteed a unit in our project and are responsible for making all final group decisions by accepting or rejecting proposals.

Equity Members who join while the group is in site search mode pay $5,000 at the time of joining. If our offer on 1523 8th Ave is accepted, the fee will increase to $50,000 ($40,000 for a 1 bedroom, if any are available). The money will be put in an escrow fund, and will be fully refundable if the purchase does not go through.

Friends of North Oakland Cohousing

If you are not interested in joining our group at this time but would like to support us and keep in touch, you can become a friend of North Oakland Cohousing. A friend of Nocoho is any person who supports us, or is interested in us in any way, but is not currently on track to live at North Oakland Cohousing.

Friends who want to get occasional announcements about our activities can join the NOCohoFriends@yahoogroups.com list. To join the list, simply send a blank email to NOCohoFriends-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or talk to a Membership team member to receive an invitation to the list.