CoOp Villages.us
Frequently Asked Questions
101 Can we design our own home construction?
102 Will each resident own their own home?
103. Will I stay in one house forever?
104. What size house will I get?
105. Why are the houses so small?
106. Where will relatives stay when they visit?
107. Who is responsible for home repairs?
108. Why can’t my kids inherit my house?
201. How did the Co-op Village Foundation come about?
202. What is the vision, purpose and values of the community?
203. Are you looking for people to help build the village?
204. How are decisions made in the community?
205. What does “consensus” mean?
206. What type of economy will the community have?
207. Is there a shared spiritual path with in the community?
208. Is the Co-op village foundation building a sustainable community?
101 Can we design our own home construction?
Standard plans will be provided and accepted by the village. The square footage will depend on the family size. Keep the following information in mind when considering this issue:
1. One village goal is to make homes affordable. This is best achieved by standardized, mass production using simple methods that can utilize the entire village as its workforce with little training.
2. Homes will be needed to be constructed rapidly so the village can then focus on food raising, health benefits and outside income, and as a probable requirement of lenders. Therefore ready access of standardized building materials is a must.
3. It will be cheaper for an architect to approve five basic plans than to approve 200 plans. Each change order will have to go back through the architect thus causing more time delays and increasing errors in the field by workers. Designing five home plans takes far less time than 200 plans.
4. Each change in building materials may cause battles with the county permitting office, such as cob, adobe, straw bale, beer bottle homes, new and unusual concrete methods, etc. Because of the stringent hurricane codes here in Florida some new technologies may be non-approved without an expensive engineering report to approve it.
5. The ideal situation would be to have several homes built and ready for new residents to move into. This might require standard models that can be adjusted quickly and easily to fit the family occupying it.
6. There will be only one power bill for the entire village. The hope is to use solar power as much as possible. To do so requires the smallest house possible with the maximum insulation and energy conservation features.
7. No one will own their home but instead will only have access to a home. When it is outgrown or is too large for the occupants they may be asked to switch homes for the benefit of the community.
8. The hope of the village is to have a classless society. That may be difficult with the master in the big house on the hill and the servants in cottages below.
9. The village might decide it is in the best interest for all concerned for a person with excess cash and special needs to vary the home design in exchange for funding the community in some way.
10. The village as a whole will finance and provide labor to construct all homes. This makes it difficult to vary each building without causing bitter feelings.
203. Are you looking for people to help build the village?
11. The emphasis on the village is for a large group to come together to act as one family supporting each other, living sustainably and to reduce the amount of work time in the outside economy. This is different from our current culture. This also puts the home in the background of priorities.
12. If the costs are kept to a bare minimum it will allow us to house indigents that can pay us back later.
102 Will each resident own their own home?
105. Why are the houses so small?
No. Each resident will have a Life Estate Interest in living in the village. But the land and buildings will be owned collectively by a Community Land Trust which will eventually be owned
Reasoning: The Land Trust will prevent parts of the vi205. What does “consensus” mean?llage from being sold off or inherited 108. Why can’t my kids inherit my house?causing land value escalation for all, which will eventually doom the village. It will preserve the land to be used forever as a co-operative village.
103. Will I stay in one house forever?
Pro203. Are you looking for people to help build the village?bably not. As your family grows you might be moved to a larger house. As it shrinks you might be asked to move to a smaller house to free up the bigger one. You might ask for a cottage near your daughter so she can provide assisted living to you. You might get tired of y203. Are you looking for people to help build the village?our neighbors and decide to move to be near other musicians like yourself. But all of these moves would be free.
104. What size house will I get?
That depends on your health and your family size. A healthy young single person might get a one room 500 square foot cabin. A married couple, childless or with one child or an older single person might have two bedrooms added on to the cabin expanding it to 700 sq feet or move into an existing home that size. A larger family might have three more rooms added on expanding it to 1,200 sq feet.
Reasoning: The community will be responsible for providing all repairs and utilities. The community as a whole will decide what is in the best interest of all concerned. The goal is to keep housing costs down and focus on living.
105. Why are the houses so small?
205. What does “consensus” mean?
Compared to today’s houses the square footage sounds extremely small. But consider this. Take a medium sized home and take away the unused bedrooms, extra baths, wash room, storage room, garage, home office and hobby room, then shrink the kitchen as it will be 108. Why can’t my kids inherit my house?little used,. What you have left is the same core house that we will provide. All the space deducted will be provided to you but under other roofs in the form of community buildings. Oh yeah – the closets can be smaller now b201. How did the Co-op Village Foundation come about?ecause you won’t need so many changes of clothes: work uniforms, business attire, tons of changes to impress people etc.
06. Where will relatives stay when they visit? Reasoning: To keep housing costs down, prevent waste, reduce utility bills, and above all, to promote community interaction.
106. Where will relatives stay when they visit?
Each cluster of 15 homes will have a guest lodge that can house up to three families at a time (maximum of 10 persons). Travel trailers can also be moved in if needed.
107. Who is responsible for home repairs?20 Are you looking for people to help build the villa How much does it cost to move into the community?
The village will provide all repairs.
204. How are decisions made in the community?
108. Why can’t my kids inherit my house?
The house goes back into the pool and is made available to another resident. If your child chooses to stay in the village, he will already have his own home.
Otherwise, if your children were not a part of the village, and not acclimated to village life, and they inherited, they might move into the house, but not fit into the village, causing problems for all. If you had more than one child, it might be necessary to sell the house to divide up the value of this asset. This would drive up land values, and again, bring in people who did not fit in the village. When enough houses were sold, the village would cease to function.
Our original purpose is to create affordable housing. The purpose is not to invest in a house and cash out later. If the house is never sold it remains affordable housing forever. This way your kids that remain in the village are assured an affordable home.
201. How did the Co-op Village Foundation come about?
Many people have be
en thing about this for many years. What sparked this group was Jack Reed’s book “The Next Evolution” which laid out a challenge to build a self sustainable village for 500 persons on 1,000 acres When we started we thought it was just about building affordable houses but later discovered it was about a new economic system and a totally new way of life!
202. What is the vision, purpose and values of the community?
Our mission is to design, finance, build, and maintain villages based on principles of:
(1) environmental awareness,
(2) the promotion of health and well-being both for the individual and the planet,
(3) the promotion of an internal economy, and
(4) moral and political egalitarianism, wherein each member of the society is granted parity in decision-making, andd housing within the community?
decisions are made based on the good of the entire village.
203. Are you looking for people to help build the village?
Yes. Design team members now, and residents (in/for) the future
204. How are decisions made in the community?
The village will make all decisions based on consensus by all residents.
205. What does “consensus” mean?
205. What does “consensus” mean?
Consensus means all residents that choose to vote will be in agreement with the
final decision reached.
206. What type of economy will the community have?
207. Is there a shared spiritual path with in the community?
The village will have a local, sustainable, internal economy that will be cashless
and based on cooperation and required community service.
207. Is there a shared spiritual path with in the community?
The Co-op Village honors and respects all spiritual paths. We do not endorse any
particular path. A multi-use chapel will be available for those who choose to use it.
08. Is the Co-op village foundation building a sustainable community?
208. Is the Co-op village foundation building a sustainable community?
We are building a community that will be self sustaining Home as much as possible and
one that can continue to run on its own for hundreds of years on the same land.
210. What is the process in entering into the community?
See: Details & Drawings / Residency Process
211. How much does it cost to move into the community?
That is undetermined at this point but appears to be around $40,000 per person.
We hope that a child’s fee will not be due until the child turns 18 and decides to stay.
We hope to be able to provide financing for those who need it.
212. What type of housing is available in the community?
That will depend on the state each community is built in. However, in N.W. Florida we are looking at small single family, one story homes either framed or monolithic dome. A lot of the green alternative housing methods are not allowable in Florida at this time. We hope to be able to provide financing for those who need it.
213. Who owns the land and housing within the community?
213. Who owns the land and housing within the community?
See question 102 above.
214. Is the Co-op village seeking members?
Yes. Design team members now and future residents.
215. Is the village vegetarian?
No. But if the village focuses on growing most of its own food and if the village focuses on helping residents get healthy, meat might not be in abundance at communal meals, with the meals being planned by consensus. Residents will always have the option to prepare their own meals at home.
216. What is Cohousing, as used by your village?
Cohousing is a planned community with the four following characteristics:
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Participatory Process: Residents organize and participate in the planning and design process for the housing development, and are responsible as a group for the final decisions.
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Intentional Neighborhood Design: The physical design encourages a strong sense of community.
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Extensive Common Facilities: An integral part of the community, common areas are designed for daily use, to supplement private living areas.
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Complete Residential Management: Residents manage the development, making decisions of common concern at community meetings.
217. Do villagers share meals?
Breakfast might be shared with 30 others in your cluster, if you choose.
Lunch might be left up to the individual.
Dinner will be shared with 90 others, if you choose.
You will always have the choice to prepare your own meals anytime.
This can be done with food staples provided by the community or
specialty items purchased by the resident
218. How is the village organized?
The smallest unit is a Cluster consisting of about 15 homes and about 33 persons.
The next unit is a Neighborhood consisting of 3 clusters, about 100 persons, and will contain a large dining hall for communal dinners.
t is the process in entering into the community?
See: Details & Drawings / Residency Process
211. How much does it cost to move into the community?
Social dynamics change greatly above 100 persons so there is no unit greater than 100 persons. You will probably not know your other neighbors unless you work with them or share a hobby.
219. What are the work expectations?
Most resident will be expected to work about 20 hours a week for the village.
This might be in the area of farming, food preparation, carpentry, child care, etc.
or a combination of those.
Residents who continue to hold full time jobs outside might be exempted
from this requirement.
220. How do “common meals” work?
They are planned by the residents based on consensus, prepared by the residents employed in that area, served buffet style from village food stocks. Specialty meals will be available for those whose diets require them.
221. What is an ecovillage?
A human-scale, full featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.
222. What is village life like?
See articles under: Village Life
223. What types of opportunities are there for work at the Co-op Village?
It will be the responsibility of the village to find suitable and acceptable jobs for each resident.
Village Service work might include: farming, food preparation, most construction trades, child care, teachers (includin
t is the process in entering into the community?
See: Details & Drawings / Residency Process
211. How much does it cost to move into the community?
g post high school), barbers, health care, social workers, business, accounting, clerical, drivers, mechanics, shoppers and procurement, maintenance, sanitation, programming, entertainment, etc.
Outside paying jobs might be created by the village for those in need of cash.
300. How can I get involved?
Contact us and let us know of your interest.
301. Is smoking allowed, and if so where?
This would have to be decided by the residents.
302. Are families and children welcome?
Yes, of course, including single parent families! Families are the foundation of our community because we envision the community thriving many generations into the future.
302. Are children raised communally or are they the responsibility of their parents?
Children will be the responsibility of their parents. However, the whole village will be available as a community, offering apprenticeships, help, advice, etc.
303. What kind of educational opportunities are available for my children?
We will have a school at the village, and public school out in town will also be an option. Post High school training might be the responsibility of the village.
See Details & Drawings/ Infrastructure/ Education.
304. If I don't like some of the established guidelines of the village,
but I still want to be involved, what should I do?
Please know that a great deal of work, money, and devotion has been invested into this plan by members. Any changes to this work in progress can be put up for a consensus vote (that is, requiring all members to agree). So if you would like to propose changes or have constructive criticism, please offer them respectfully, and rest assured you will be treated in kind. We are still in the design phase.
306. What are the maternity and paternity leaves like in regards to the work requirements?
New mothers and fathers will return to village work at their own pace while integrating their family life with the help of our counselor. Returning to work is much easier in our family-centered environment.
307. Can I keep my own money in banks outside the village?
It’s your money. Do with it as you please.
308. What if I don't like my neighbors?
The village will move you for free to another home that is available, no questions asked.
309. How is the Village different from the Amish or communes?
See: Community Comparative Chart