Arcadia Cohousing

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Home-sharing
  • Suburban

Founding year

  • 1991

What we do

Arcadia is a pedestrian-oriented residential cohousing community on 16 acres of wooded land. Thirty-three individually owned homes are clustered on five acres around a centrally located common house. The remaining land held in common includes woods, pond, stream, organic gardens, outdoor play spaces, and the common house with kitchen, dining area, guest rooms, playroom, office, laundry room, and storage areas. The majority of homes have a passive solar design and the common areas are handicapped accessible. We are located near rural areas about three miles from the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

Our Mission

As members of the Arcadia Cohousing Community, we value:
RESPECT
• mutual kindness and generosity
• the physical and emotional safety of all Arcadians
INTERACTION
• knowing, supporting, and sharing with our neighbors
• spontaneous one-on-one interactions as the backbone of community
• authentic relationships along with their inevitable conflicts
• resolving conflicts in honest, creative, and non-threatening ways
FUN
• embracing and enjoying diversity in our multi-generational membership
• the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical benefits of having fun together
As participants in this intentional community, we value:
HONESTY
• through transparency in governance
• through openly communicating ideas and feelings relating to community issues
PARTICIPATION
• in our consensus decision-making process
• in shared meals: cooking, breaking bread together, and cleaning up
RESPONSIBILITY
• for our community’s financial well-being
• for our household’s monetary and non-monetary contributions to Arcadia Cohousing
• for our individual share of ongoing community work tasks and meetings
As stewards of our shared physical space, we value:
CREATIVITY of individual Arcadians in the use and development of our common assets
MINDFULNESS of the impact our personal spaces and habits have on our neighbors
WORKING TOGETHER to maintain and enhance the physical beauty and infrastructure of our community
SUSTAINABILITY in environmental and economic spheres by being caretakers of the natural environment
ENCOURAGING individual, small group, and community endeavors to promote our shared values
SHARING our public spaces, activities, and companionship with neighbors beyond our borders
We value making Arcadia a great place to come home to.

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Activities
  • Property management

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1991
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1995
  • Started living together
  • 55 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
72

How to join

Subject to availability of housing

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Come visit and walk the property or contact a member of the community to join us for a tour or common meal.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Decision-making process

  • Full Consensus

Everyone must agree before moving forward.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

Executive Committee of HOA

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Any debt remains responsibility of individual homeowner. Monthly HOA dues and 3+ hrs per month of sweat equity, based on number of adults in household.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Outbuilding(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Age demographics

  • Family-focused (many children and parents)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Suburban

Residential areas outside city centers but within metropolitan regions.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

Community type

  • Built or remodeled using passive solar design

Sustainability approach

  • Renewable energy systems

Community type

  • Built or remodeled using passive solar design

Some or all of the buildings are...

  • Built or remodeled using passive solar design

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Land area size
    16.5 acres

Guest Book

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Location

  • North Carolina, United States

Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Communities with Openings
7 months ago

Worktrade Opportunities on Big Island Hawaii

We are continuing our work-trade program at Bridge Hawaii for the right people on this beautiful 86-acre land located along the Hāmākua Coast. Ideally, we want to host those individuals who can help with the garden and who can support with build projects for up to a 3 month stay. This work-trade would include lodging, food staples, community kitchen, running hot water showers, off-grid electricity, and laundry. There is access to high speed wi-fi. We often have a car that can be reserved. We also have full bar signal strength with Verizon cellphone service. We have about 2 acres of permaculture garden that needs to be cared for including; weeding, planting, picking up mulch, some tree trimming, ect. We are currently in a building stage on the land. We have a few current grant projects we are working on and some build projects that are underway. We are an intentional community with about 8 permanent residents. There are rescue dairy cows, mini cows, mini donkeys, horses, a donkey, cats, dogs, and active bee hives. We are a drug and alcohol “free” space. A glass of wine or beer with dinner is fine, but absolutely no day drinking or parties. We have a meditation temple and many waterfall pools that are wonderful for swimming. Close to some of the nicest beaches on island. We have snorkeling gear and a kayak. Since this is an animal sanctuary, we limit the consumption of meat on the land. Fish, eggs, honey, and dairy are fine. Let me know if you’re interested by sending an email or text for our application. Maomi (801) 623-0738 ma***@*****************ii.com

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Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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