Songaia is a semi-rural cohousing community located on 11 acres of wooded hillside, gardens, orchard, and meadow. Our 15 homes include studio rentals, and both one and three bedroom duplexes. The homes are arranged around a green village-like commons.
Songaia: "Song of the Living Earth" is named for our love of singing and celebration and our connection to the earth.
Our shared community life at Songaia is active: members gather frequently for meals, singing, work parties, celebrations, men's and women's circles, and social activities. Our regular celebrations include Solstices, Equinoxes, Earth Day, Thanksgiving, and New Years. The connections we continue to form are creating a strong network of friends and caring neighbors, a safe, supportive environment where children, elders, and families of all types can live more lightly on the land.
Members and non-member renters share the use of our common facilities and grounds. Our common house includes a large dining/meeting room, kitchen and pantry, laundry, play room, living room, office, and 2 guest rooms. Our barn includes a greenhouse, larger pantry, shop, and ceramics room, as well as storage. Our land features a large organic garden, orchard, forest, and meadow. The homes are clustered near the center of the community, so there is almost 5 acres of natural forest.
Songaia's Food Program has been used as a model by other communities. Each family is assessed a monthly fee per adult ($85) and $5/year for kids. This covers the cost of all common meals (4 shared dinners per week and Saturday breakfasts). It also covers an all-you-can-eat supply of food from a common pantry. The common pantry does not include luxuries, like ice cream & beer. It does, however, have diversity, e.g. milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, pasta, salsa, ground turkey, cheese, etc. Seasonally, the pantry and our meals includes fresh organic produce from our land.
Songaia started as a residential house-sharing community in 1987. Several of the current members lived together for many years before it evolved into its current form as a cohousing community - construction completed in 2000. Songaia members were deeply involved in all aspects of the project, except the construction itself. We continue to gradually develop the property, through landscaping and special projects, like a recently completed labyrinth.
While valuing simplicity, cooperation and an Earth-conscious, sustainable lifestyle, we continue to evolve a rich, active life together on a beautiful piece of property close enough to Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond to enjoy the benefits of city life - like good jobs, theater, restaurants, etc.
We are very fortunate.
"building a better world, one community at a time"
-- ?? |
user comments [add comment]
|
| setting |
legal structure
surroundings
land ownership
building ownership: self-owned
neighbors: neighbors are friendly
|
| population |
total number of people: 36
ideal or planned maximum number of people: 36
children (0-10): 9
teenagers (11-19): 3
adults (20-60): 19
seniors (61 and older): 5
females: 19
males: 17
people with disabilities: 2
|
| housing |
number of buildings: 9
number of housing units: 15
number of bedrooms: 32
house sharing: 2 or more units or families per building
|
| sharing |
income sharing: fixed (rent-like fee which is pooled together)
communal meals: most meals are communal
communal food: most food is communal
tools and machinery: most tools and machines are shared
motor vehicles: one vehicle is shared
bicycles: bicycles are private property
|
| ethnicity |
ethnic diversity: open to all yet unintentionally not diverse
|
| spirituality |
spiritual diversity: very diverse
meditation: some people meditate regularly
agnostic: some people practice this faith
anthroposophic
atheist: some people practice this faith
roman catholic: some people practice this faith
christian: some people practice this faith
humanist: some people practice this faith
jewish: some people practice this faith
paganism / earth religions: some people practice this faith
quaker: some people practice this faith
sufi: some people practice this faith
unitarian universalist: some people practice this faith
ecumenical (includes "all religions"): some people practice this faith
|
| government |
common political theme: no official theme
selecting leaders or centrals: no leaders by principle
decision making: done by consensus
|
| activism |
party politics: some people
protests and demonstrations: some people
non-violent direct action: a few people
cyber-activism: a few people
|
| sustainability |
self-grown food: 5%
organic food (grown+purchased): 50%
building material which is salvaged: 5%
waste which ends up being recycled: 10%
|
| income and money |
personal expenses
savings
|
| agriculture / garden |
crops or produce
fruit trees
|
| diet preferences |
common diet: different diets are accommodated and welcome
vegetarian (plant based and non-flesh animal products): 6
omnivore: 30
whole foods: no restrictions - burgers and fries taste great!
coffee and caffeine: no restrictions
sugar: no restrictions
salt: no restrictions
|
| love and sexuality |
polyamory / open relationships
polyfidelity (group marriage): respected and welcome
bisexuality: respected and welcome
homesexuality (male): respected and welcome
lesbianism: respected and welcome
heterosexuality: respected and welcome
monogamy: respected and welcome
celibacy: respected and welcome
|
| parenting / children |
attachment parenting
home education: open - a personal choice
breastfeeding
home birth: open - a personal choice
cloth diapering: open - a personal choice
corporal punishment
childhood vaccines: a personal choice - equally open to all
|
| seeking people |
seeking people: not at this time, but keep in touch
people with children: not at this time, but keep in touch
people with disabilities: not at this time, but keep in touch
elderly people: not at this time, but keep in touch
single parents: not at this time, but keep in touch
need capital to join: yes
|
| drugs / stimulants |
marijuana: prohibited
psychedelics: prohibited
tobacco / nicotin
liquor: no restrictions
wine: no restrictions
|
last updated 2005/07/26
|
