This community does not exist yet physically, but is in the planning stages of development. We are looking for several founding members. Once the community is actually developed, the preferred location is Montezuma County, Colorado, or an adjacent area.
Initially, it would probably be a good idea for the people interested to get together either in person or online.
The next stage would be to rent a house where we could live together and see how things go. I think it is important to have this rental stage before committing to buying a property, because intentional community is something that most people haven’t experienced, and so it would be good to make a smaller commitment of renting a place for a while, and seeing how everyone likes it before making a much larger financial commitment. The house that we rent would hopefully be affordable for the area, which might mean something in the $500 to $800 range per person per month.
We could experiment with different governance structures, perhaps trying sociocracy first.
In the long run the community would hopefully buy a piece of property together. Preferably this property would have at least a few acres of land and would either have irrigation water or be in a location that receives at least 16 inches of precipitation per year. While a community where everyone built their own house or tiny house, and then the community itself might have a community building, seems ideal, because of the zoning laws in Montezuma County that might be difficult to implement. Therefore, the most practical scenario, at least initially, might be to buy or build a house that is shared and where everyone gets one bedroom within the house. And if people want to have more privacy, they can build their own outbuilding and spend most of their time there if they prefer.
One of the goals of this community is to figure out how people can live together in a way where everyone is treated fairly and participation is voluntary. Therefore, I think sociocracy would be a good governance structure to try.
Personally, I am interested in figuring out ways to become less dependent on outside systems without becoming isolated from society. So I’m interested in experimenting with things like gardening, solar energy, rainwater harvesting, etc. For those who share similar interests, perhaps there will be possibilities for collaboration without being required to do so.
There will likely be a community agreement that is worked out that will include such things as how to join the community, how to leave the community and get fair compensation for your share of the assets, and a conflict resolution mechanism.
Overall, this is a community that is intended to evolve and improve over time.
The whole membership decides collectively.
Decisions proceed unless someone has a reasoned objection.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
The conflict resolution procedure for the community will have to be worked out, but initially, perhaps it can be something like this: If there is a conflict between two or more people, then the first step is for those people to try to work the conflict out among themselves. If they cannot do so after a certain amount of time, then they can bring in a third-party mediator. This mediator can be either another member of the community, someone outside the community, or even an AI like ChatGPT. During mediation, an agreement will be worked out between the conflicting parties. Both parties will be expected to adhere to the agreement. If one or both parties repeatedly violate the agreement, then they may be required to leave the community. If the agreement seems unfair or unworkable, then it can go back to mediation in order to work out a new agreement.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Required expenses would include paying for a share of the rent or mortgage, as well as the property taxes.
Shared resources in the community would include things like the kitchen, living rooms, various outdoor spaces, etc. People can also create a car share program if they wish, but participation would be voluntary. Garden space might be shared, or each person might have their own garden plot, depending on their preferences. Internet and other utilities would be shared among those who choose to pay their share of the bill.
Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
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).
{{ item.label }}
{{ item.value ? item.value : currencyFormat( item.amount ) }}
Subtotal
{{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}
We’re introducing new Plus features — including community reviews, Profile Match, and unlimited Needs & Offers posts — while keeping most of FIC free for everyone. Membership costs less than two coffees a month.
