Word cloud of community values including peace, integrity, diversity, and sustainability.

Common Ground Southwest - Name And Details Subject To Change

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Forming
  • Ecological
  • Suburban

Founding year

  • 2024

What we do

Interested in intentional intergenerational community living, living mindfully, simply and lightly on the earth? Regenerative agriculture & permaculture, rewilding, sustainability, traditional building, water protection and general earth care? Please contact us to learn more! Newly forming community near Albuquerque, New Mexico seeking additional founding members. The forming community has access to 5+ urban rental units in the city limits of Albuquerque which relocating members may rent while we identify and acquire a larger community site. We also have access to food growing space available on another 1/2 acre in Bosque Farms, about 30 minutes South of Albuquerque. We’ve begun meeting regularly to share meals, build community, and plan. If you are in Albuquerque and interested in learning more, please join us for a 2nd Saturday potluck, 5pm at The Albuquerque Friends Meetinghouse – 1600 5th St., NW (PO Box 25462) , Albuquerque, NM 87125-5462 We will also be hosting a more focused planning session on 4th Saturday’s at 10am at this location. (Please email before attending as we may change times or locations on short notice as needed)
In March our core group began looking at property together and are in early discussions about initial financial buy in and ownership structure. We hope to identify a property and begin the process of forming the physical community in the next 12-36 months.
We are seeking to collectively purchase ~5-50 acres of land near Albuquerque where community members can live intentionally together in a variety of housing types, with natural ecological preservation and agricultural potential while still easily accessible to the Albuquerque metro area. The most likely area for this type of community is currently the South Valley of Bernalillo County, which is a traditional agricultural community located along the bosque of the Rio Grande river. Ideally the land will have well or ditch irrigation to help preserve communal water resources, agrarian land access and respectable affordable housing options.
This effort began with 2 community minded Quakers in Albuquerque seeking a way to live intergenerationally, sustainably, and intentionally together. Quaker/Spiritual affiliation is not required, though principles and values like Community, Simplicity, Peace, Equality, Integrity, Stewardship, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Ecological Integrity, to Right Action, Growth, Endurance. etc. are appreciated. (https://quakerspeak.com/video/9-core-quaker-beliefs/ & https://quakerearthcare.org/emerge/ ) Click here to learn more about Quakers concern for Earth Care and Climate Action: https://quakerearthcare.org/
Our current participant group includes individuals without religious affiliation, and those from the Quaker, Mennonite, Unitarian Universalist, ,and those with a background in the Presbyterian. Southern Baptist, Catholic, and Mormon backgrounds. We are interested in a diversity of experiences which may enhance community as we strive to live out lives which reflect our common values.

Our Mission

To Be Finalized As Additional Members Join. The word cloud used on our profile is made up of concepts and values our founding members have shared. We seek to live intentionally together in an intergenerational model. Build resilient community networks, preserve water and agrarian land access for future generations, and explore ways to steward land collectively in partnership with the historical land stewards of our area.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Coliving
  • Student Co-op
  • Sustainability practices
  • Regenerative agriculture or permaculture
  • Permaculture design
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Experiences
  • Networking
  • Services Business
  • Others

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2024
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2028
  • Started living together

Gallery

  • 8 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
8

How to join

To Be Finalized As Additional Members Show Interest.
We would like prospective members/residents to begin attending our 2nd and 4th Saturday gatherings so that we can get to know you. If you live out of state, please contact us via email for more information and to arrange to meet up should you visit Albuquerque.
We’ve discussed a 6-9-12 month introductory period for determining if new and existing members are in alignment.
We are in particular need of people with 1) Construction/rehab skills 2) Water harvesting/landscaping/irrigation experience. 3) Agriculture/Dryland Farming. 4) Elder care/Nursing. 5) Teaching/Hosting Workshops. One or more full-time persons to reside in the village who can commit them/her/himself to the needs of site development and maintenance would be ideal.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Email and attend a second or fourth Saturday planning meeting and 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

Quaker Business Process – https://www.fgcquaker.org/fgcresources/practical/practices/quaker-business-basics/

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • 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

Join fee: Yes
Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Encouraged or suggested (10 hrs/week)
Current rental unit rates range between $500 for a one room casita with shared bathroom/kitchen and $8000 for a 1bdr 600sq ft studio. Community economics will change as a larger community property is identified. We will potentially have a 2bdr 1 bath in the city limits opening in 2026/2027 which will rent for $1,200 for community members.
We are currently looking at properties in the $400k – $900k price range, and equal buy in per member would be ideal. We are discussing ways to allow for more equitable buy in and membership opportunities with rentals, tiny home parking, or rent to own/real estate contract type arrangements.

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

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Outdoor Kitchen, Fire pit, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Community activities and engagement

  • Transition Town (post-petroleum and off-grid communities.)
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Ethical Business, Investment Group, or Alternative Currency
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community
  • Religions
  • Buddhist
  • Quaker
  • Unitarian Universalist

Gender composition

  • Majority cis (over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • TBD for planned site. Founding member owns current rentals.

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.

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

  • Student Co-op

    Cooperative housing primarily for students, often with shared chores,
    meals, and democratic decision-making.

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

  • Intentional Neighborhoods

    Geographically close groups of independently-owned homes whose residents actively cultivate community relationships and shared values.

  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

    Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.

Sustainability approach

  • Regenerative agriculture or permaculture
  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Livestock / poultry
  • Land area size
    1 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • New Mexico, United States

Common Ground Southwest - Name And Details Subject To Change

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
5 days ago

Beautiful 3+ Bed, 2.5 Bath Townhome in Established West Emerald CoHousing, Seattle

A rare home is available at West Emerald Cohousing, an established all-ages intentional community in West Seattle. For those considering a move to the Pacific Northwest—or hoping to join a mature community rather than one still in the forming stages—West Emerald offers decades of community life, beautiful gardens, shared resources and a peaceful setting within the city in a convenient location since 1999. This unit has a unique floor plan that is ideal for co-buying, co-living, or for one household. The home itself offers a flexible 3+ bedroom, 2.5 bath layout: Garden-level room with a separate exterior entrance and half bath—ideal for a home office, studio, guest space or client-facing business Main-level bedroom and full bath, laundry, making one-level living possible Open great room with large windows overlooking gardens filled with birdsong Well-designed kitchen with generous storage and pantry Two additional light-filled spacious bedrooms and a full bath upstairs Thoughtfully maintained and updated Located at the end of a common pathway for added privacy and garden views, Just feet from parking, which is out of view West Emerald community amenities include: Common House with gathering and activity spaces Community meals and events Mature gardens and shared outdoor spaces Workshop/maker spaces and bike barn Exercise room EV charging opportunity Excellent Metro access to Downtown Seattle just minutes away Nestled into a dell, it’s Seattle’s best-kept secret South Seattle College and lifelong learning, NW Wine Academy, the Seattle Chinese Garden are nearby, with easy access to Alki Beach, Lincoln Park, magnet schools, ferries, and the shops and restaurants of the West Seattle Junction. 6000 17th Ave SW, Seattle, WA Is a wonderful opportunity to have your own comfortable, private home while becoming part of a vibrant and well-established Seattle all-ages cohousing community. For more information contact the friendly Realtor at 206-579-9066, or at ki**********@**********te.com who will be happy to meet you there or do a facetime tour.
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 days ago

Unit C-2, Woodard Lane Cohousing — Olympia, WA

We are looking for renters and buyers who truly want to participate fully in a community living situation; to collaborate, share meals, attend meetings, share stewardship of our grounds and buildings, socialize, and share spaces including the Common House, guest rooms, tools, Center Green, vegetable garden, and more. Unit C2 is available for rent or for sale. Unit C2 Unit C2 has functioned as two units since its beginning. The lower level is currently occupied. It’s ideal if you desire ground floor ease of entry — as owner, you can live comfortably in half and rent out half. C2 For Rent (ground level) — $1,900/month Short term rental agreement with 90-day notice; includes utilities. Contact Kate Greene: yo******@***il.com or 360-789-7587 925 square feet One bedroom One bathroom Bonus room/office with loft bed Open kitchen, dining room, living room Deck view of forest Front yard garden C2 For Sale (entire unit) — $630,000 Contact Kate Greene: yo******@***il.com or 360-789-7587 1,904 square feet total (each level is 952 SF with a full kitchen and private entrance) 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a laundry room Ground floor entry with no steps Two back decks that face a wooded ravine The upstairs living space is an open kitchen, dining room, and living room The lower level has a full kitchen, two bedrooms, and a separate entry Upstairs has a large bedroom with closets, and a bonus room with a full-sized loft bed Monthly dues are currently $799.00, including all utilities (electricity, gas, water, sewer, garbage) plus a healthy contribution to the reserves fund See flyer for more details
Need
  • Forming Communities
4 weeks ago

Looking for: people building relational capacity, with a view to community

What’s here now: An intention, a framework developed over five years, and a programme running in central Victoria to find people to build with. No land, no group, no timeline. The question this is organised around: What makes a community of people living together sustainable over decades – where people enjoy being there, conflict is low, and the conflict that does arise gets handled in ways people value. The distinctive premise is capacity before formation. Most communities form first and build relational skill afterwards, usually under pressure. This one proposes doing it the other way round: people build the capacities first, and the group forms from people who have them. That includes a working idea about collective capacity – that a group has a ratio, and below some threshold it can’t metabolise its own conflict and starts consuming itself. Roughly: in a group of twenty, perhaps three or four with high capacity, most in the middle, and very few without. Untested, and something this project exists to find out. Governance: Sociocracy, with the intention of testing it meaningfully at scale rather than adopting it nominally. What’s actually happening: A three-week residency at a property near Castlemaine, and a practice group running before it. The medium-term aim is twenty to forty people at a rented facility. The long-term aim is a support hub sharing the framework more widely. What I’m looking for: People who want to build this capacity seriously, and who might eventually want to build something together. Not necessarily people who want to live here – the current property probably isn’t the long-term site. Happy to hear from anyone this resonates with, including people already in community who’d rather share what they’ve learned than join anything.
Need
  • Communities with Openings
3 days ago

Looking for a family-friendly farm, cohousing, or intentional community

This might be a little hard to explain, but I’m going to try. I’m 28, Colombian-American, and I have a seven-year-old daughter. Our life is a little unconventional. I travel, my work is not a normal 9–5, and I’ve realized I don’t want to keep building our life around temporary housing, hired help, and having to recreate a support system everywhere we go. I keep wondering whether there is somewhere we could actually belong. Not necessarily an “intentional community” in the formal sense. It could be a farm, a group of families, cohousing, an intergenerational household, or something I don’t have the language for yet. What I want is for my daughter to grow up around people she really knows. Other children. Adults who become familiar and trusted over time. A place where people notice when someone needs help, where meals or childcare or work sometimes overlap naturally, and where community is more than everyone living near each other. And for myself, I want people I can actually think and build with. I care a lot about spirituality, inner work, land, education, caregiving, and learning how to live differently. But I also care about power and about whether the communities we create reproduce the same things we say we’re trying to get away from. I need to be around people who can acknowledge things like racism, class, gender and systemic inequality without becoming defensive or treating those conversations as inherently divisive. I’ve been developing some of my own thinking around all of this through a framework I call Conscious Colombia, Participating Wisely, and Contemporary Sādhana. A lot of it comes down to a question I keep returning to: how do we become people who can participate in community wisely, while also creating structures that remain accountable and open to correction? I don’t have a fixed location in mind and I’m not looking to rush into anything. I’m really just trying to find the people and places where this kind of life is already being attempted — imperfectly, seriously, in real life. If you’re building something like this, living in something like this, or even asking similar questions, I’d love to talk.
Offer
Need
  • Forming Communities
4 weeks ago

A call for pioneers, trade-builders, and the four Elemental Elders to construct our first cooperative village prototype.

Intake Open: Flagship WE Network Village in Clubb, MO Call for pioneers, trade-builders, and 4 Elemental Elders to construct our first cooperative village prototype. WE Network is opening ground zero in Clubb, Missouri—our living model to build trade shops and train leadership teams for nationwide village rollout. We are building a self-sustaining, salvaged homestead ecosystem operating as a parallel society alongside existing systems. Bring your own living setup (tents, micro-campers, trucks, schoolies, tiny homes) to secure your lot within the co-op village. The 3×3 Exchange: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Maintain your lot via our 3×3 exchange (3 hours/day, 3 days/week = 9 hours total): Mental: Classroom teaching, strategy, skill-sharing, and village instruction. Physical: Hands-on labor building active land and shop projects. Spiritual: Participation in our weekly Friday Fellowship Fire Circle. Trade Shops & Lot Placement Every member contributes directly to our local micro-economy: Trade Holders: Set up your specific service shop for the co-op. Transitioning Members: Assigned a trade lot to focus on constructing the physical shop structure. Weekend Operations: Retail open Saturdays and Sundays. Mid-week is reserved for building and life. Priority Intake: The Four Elemental Elders We are recruiting four foundational Elders: Earth Elder: Land, soil, livestock, permaculture, and natural materials. Air Elder: Building structures and Eco Junk waste-to-material upcycling. Fire Elder: Spiritual health, Natural Law, body healing, and Fire Circles. Water Elder: Resource flow, food storage, bookkeeping, and services. How to Apply 👉 Visit fffc.wtf to submit your intake request today.

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