Welcome to a resource for cooperative living! (Home-shares & communities)

Co-living is ecological, economical, socially and intellectually stimulating. If done well, it can be highly rewarding!

Headlining Workshop at Expansion Festival! (Online, JUNE 9)

SKILL BUILDING TO CREATE THE COMMUNITY YOU DESIRE - June 9, 4:00 - 5:30 PM (PDT)

Presented by Syd Fredrickson with Eva Otto. Workshop packages available. General admission to this event is priced by donations to make it accessible and affordable. The festival organizers ask you to pay at the highest level that you can afford to support the offerings you are receiving, and to therefore make this event accessible to marginalized communities and those who cannot pay. Please use this link to register for the workshop:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/expansion-virtual-mastermind-series-tickets-100845995086?aff=evaandsyd

OTHER EVENTS

Re-membering the Song: NICA Spring Gathering 2020, May 31

Since 1993, the Northwest Intentional Communities Association (NICA) has been holding events which are hosted by, and are about, intentional communities in the Cascadia bioregion. Syd was a co-host for the Spring Gathering this year.

The day involved yoga, intentional community updates and presentations on various types of resilience. We had reflective conversations over the lunch period, on the topic of increasing resilience in various aspects -- personal, interpersonal, in our social groups, communities, and eco-systems.

Syd’s talk at Ignite Seattle

Co-Living the Dream, by Syd Fredrickson, M.Ed. A 5-minute talk given at Town Hall Seattle, addressing benefits of co-living; how it helps address urban sprawl and the affordable housing crisis.

Resources

https://Cohouseholding.guide
https://nwcommunities.org
Seattle Cooperative Housing Network

(an Open Facebook group)

About under 1 roof

Want to start an Intentional Community?

Through facilitated meetings, customized workshops, coaching sessions or if you are in the market to collectively buy a home, getting referrals to other experts, such as real estate agents familiar with co-buying practices, our services will help get you on the right track to having the healthy, thriving home/community in which you seek to live.

Get Involved!

Come to a cooperative housing mixer (new events listed on Facebook group called "Seattle Cooperative Housing Network"), attend a NICA Gathering (NWCommunities.org), sample a Communities Conference, or schedule a free initial consultation to get an idea of what you can do to realize your dream of a more community-minded home.

Reasons why people like shared housing

Co-living helps address the urban housing crisis

I'm on a mission to help people enjoy living with others in a connected way. It can be in any community minded setting, no matter what the legal structure -- meaning it can be a set of co-owners, a collective of renters, or a mix of owners and renters who think they'd like to live together. What makes it not merely a place to live for as little money as possible is the set INTENTION & SHARED VALUES, usually articulated, in order to help solidify a group identity and commitment to uphold those values. This might be done by a multi-generational family or the members might not be relatives. The obvious advantage, although it may seem unconventional, is that by pooling resources, there are more options. If several people go in on a place (whether buying or renting) it makes more desired locations within reach financially, with a variety of extra amenities possible.

While more new housing can be built in our growing cities, custom design and construction is an expensive, risky and arduous process. Yet some brave souls are still eager to buy property and develop it together. I say, "More power to you!" if you are willing to do that. However, my priority is really to advocate for the current housing stock to be lived in well, by more people. That can be done by adding on an attached or detached dwelling unit (ADUs / DADUs), or by having housemates.

In many cities, buying houses or even renting is quite unaffordable (some people pay more than half of their income on housing) and apartment life can be isolating. However, many homeowners have empty bedrooms, or there are homes for sale or for rent which are well-suited to a group with shared values. It isn't the way that most of us were brought up, to think about shared living as an option. Some of the under-utilized dwellings belong to active seniors who want to stay in their homes, yet are on a fixed income, with rising costs of living. They sometimes contemplate having a housemate to help share costs and routine tasks. This can be a win-win for people seeking a more affordable way to live, sharing a household -- perhaps having access to a yard or even a garden -- and a built in housemate for many reasons beyond the economic ones. There are ecological reasons, increased health benefits, social options and more. Housemates may find true friendship, or at least compatibility, and chances of that increase greatly with the right preparation and support.

I provide coaching and checklists for homeowners who are contemplating having a housemate, perhaps for the first time, as well as workshops and mentoring for cooperative groups, who might call themselves an intentional community, a co-op, or embrace the term co-living.

-Syd

GETTING PERSONAL

Mentoring: in person or via remote sessions

Have a 3 month trial mentorship with Syd. For 1:1 coaching or groups.

Testimonials

"With ongoing support from Syd I have found community, lifelong connections and have rediscovered my own sense of security. By way of impeccably timed advice, she has restored my hope for the future by giving me the skills and resources to better communicate and live more sustainably. As someone planning on building an intentional community, being informed and confident has made the biggest difference. Can't recommend enough!!!"

- Leah R. (Seattle)

See examples of shared housing on https://cohouseholding.guide/