Group of diverse people standing outside Ella Jo Baker Cooperative building.

Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, Inc.

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Home-sharing
  • Urban

Founding year

  • 1999

What we do

The Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community is a multicultural association of individuals of modest means, with similar concerns, needs and history of community activism and fighting for social justice. We have deliberately chosen to live together and work cooperatively to create a lifestyle that reflects the values of the Nguzo Saba, better known as the Kwanzaa Principles.

Our Mission

The mission of the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community is to build a solid foundation of cooperation and community participation through cooperative home ownership (Ujamaa) that can serve as a model for community-building and neighborhood improvement and for breathing life into the Kwanzaa Principles. We get our inspiration from civil rights activist Ella Jo Baker, who committed her life to the building of cooperation and participartory democracy for the purpose of bringing about social justice.

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Networking

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1999
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2003
  • Started living together
  • 14 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
55

How to join

Submit application, attend orientation and interview in order to qualify for waiting list, if the qualifications are met and there is space available in the cooperative the person on the top of the list is offered the space.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

We have had students and community organizers who are in town for specific campaigns visit our cooperative.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Leadership Decides

A single person, couple, or small group makes most major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Founder/Leader-led

Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).

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: $3000.00
Regular fees: $10
Labor: Yes (3 hrs/week)

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

Garden(s)

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Dietary type

  • Kosher Only

Dietary restriction

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

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Yoruba
  • Buddhist
  • Jewish
  • Muslim
  • Quaker
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions

Gender composition

  • Majority non-binary/gender diverse (over 30%)

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

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

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Community type

  • Cohousing

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

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • Up to 33%

Food systems

  • Community garden

Guest Book

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

Location

  • District of Columbia, United States

Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, Inc.

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
3 weeks ago

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

Join Olympia’s first and longest-running cohousing community, in a quiet West Side neighborhood 1.6 miles from downtown, backing onto a forested ravine along Schneider Creek. Unit C-2 offers 1,904 SF. Two stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and a bonus loft room on the main level. It can be lived in as one spacious family home — or split into two independent living spaces, each with its own kitchen, entrance, and effective soundproofing. Great for multigenerational households, live/work arrangements, or an owner-occupied half with a rented or shared half. Upper level: bedroom, full bath, bonus room with built-in loft bed, and an open kitchen-dining-living area with a deck facing the forest. Lower level: 3 bedrooms, full bath with dual sinks, second full kitchen, laundry room, and a second patio. Features: 2 full kitchens, radiant floor heat, stained concrete floors (bamboo upstairs), double-pane windows, bolted keyed entries at both levels, dedicated laundry, concrete patios facing the ravine, shared parking with 18 EV charging stations.   Ownership includes a Common House with a guest room, full kitchen, gathering space, and kids’ play area; a shared vegetable garden; a wood shop and bike storage; and wooded grounds with a stream path and central Green. Monthly dues are $799, covering all utilities except internet. Established in 2010, Woodard Lane is home to ~40 residents across 18 homes, with shared meals, work parties, and genuine neighborliness. Learn more about Woodard Lane Cohousing  We’re looking for a buyer who wants to participate fully in community life. $630,000. Contact Kate Greene: yo******@***il.com or text: 360-789-7587.
Offer
  • Forming Communities
4 weeks ago

Cohousing ABQ: Life is better together. We're moving in during 2026. Last homes available!

We’ve broken ground on a multigenerational cohousing community along the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque, NM! Our community features 25 beautiful, energy-efficient homes clustered around a shared open space, with a fully equipped common house and a range of community amenities. A few last homes are still available — please refer to our website for up-to-date availability. These homes will be move-in ready in the summer/fall of 2026. Or you might be interested in our Wait Pool for unit sizes no longer available. Click here to watch a video of our cohousing community: https://cohousingabq.org/video Our land is on a quiet road with lots of families and kids. The neighborhood’s agricultural roots give it a rural feel, but the center of town is just a 3-minute drive away. Our community plans include play areas for kids, a shared farming area, a year-round greenhouse, an orchard, a workshop and electric vehicle charging. We are diverse in age, background and identity, representing a mix of families with children, couples and singles. We range in age from 2 to 82, and there are 13 kids in our community so far. We have created a fun, caring culture among our group, regularly getting together for meals, camping trips and play dates by the river, in addition to collaborating on our community plans and supporting one another through life’s ups and downs. In Albuquerque, there’s lots to keep us busy, from museums and galleries to nationally recognized wineries and breweries. With 310 sunny days per year, you can often find us outside—hiking, biking or skiing, or exploring the mountains, parks and historic sites all around the region. The Rio Grande that flows through the city center is a playground for kayakers, and miles of walking and cycling trails wind through its wooded banks. Reach out to us or join an upcoming Meet & Greet to learn more about becoming a part of our community! Email: neig
Offer
  • Events
2 weeks ago

Restoring Choice - free online practice group, from Australia

Restoring Choice – free sessions and a practice group Many of us are less practised at three things than we realise: making clear requests, saying no when it isn’t a full yes, and hearing no without something getting damaged. These aren’t personality traits. They’re capacities that were trained out of many of us by ordinary structures – families where some needs were allowed and others weren’t, workplaces that reward overstretch. They can be trained back. Why this might interest people here Most communities teach communication after people arrive, once conflict has already surfaced. This works the other way round – building capacity first, and finding out what a group can do when most people already have it. What’s running Free 60-minute introduction, online. Same session each time; come to whichever suits. Register for intro session below: https://events.humanitix.com/reclaim-your-power-with-restoring-choice Four-week practice group, Tuesdays from 15 September, 6:30-8:00pm. One session a week, and at least one short written entry a day about a real situation in your own life. The writing is the actual work; the sessions support it. Sign up by Sunday 13 September. Register for practice group below: https://events.humanitix.com/restoring-choice-practice-group Everything is free. Times are Australian Eastern 6:30pm here is the early hours in most of the Americas. Worth checking before you register. Who it’s for No prior experience needed. It isn’t therapy, and I’m not a therapist. Many people find that looking honestly at how well they ask, decline, or hear a no is less flattering than expected. That’s common, and it isn’t a verdict on anyone. Run by Glenn Russo – 13 years practising this material, seven years co-facilitating an NVC practice group in Castlemaine. If you’re already living in community and would rather share what you’ve learned than join anything, I’d like to hear from you too.

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