Colorful window with string lights and potted plants on a cozy porch.

Template House

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Social
  • Urban

Founding year

  • 2018

What we do

Template House is an intentional community space in Lower Haight of San Francisco. We inhabit a mixed use building, which is both a home and also a semi public community living room and reading room that are set in street facing commercial spaces on the ground floor. We are five residents (so far) exploring co-creation, commoning, fluid use of space, and new ways of being in solidarity with one another.
Template is home to our Second Life community – an autonomous, self-determined intentional community, built around transformation and empowerment, with and for the formerly incarcerated community, manifesting alternative justices approaches and values.

Our Mission

The commons, which is our shared world, and all that it offers must be open to all who wish to participate, care for, and contribute to them. It is our hope that returning citizens are not returning to the same systems that led them into a difficult trajectory, but into a different social fabric, centered around solidarity, mutual emancipation, and collective power. For us, the goal is not just to re-enter an existing society, but to reshape society using the unique skills, critical reflections of the world, and emotional intelligence gained through incarceration. Our commons and communities support returning lifers to find meaningful work, heal from their traumatic experiences, and build independent community life-lines and help all of us move beyond the themes of domination, competition, extraction, and individualism that often dominate our worlds.

  • Purpose
  • Social
  • Community type
  • Coliving
  • Commune
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Networking
  • Services Business

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2018
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2019
  • Started living together

Video

  • 4 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
6

How to join

You can apply here and we will arrange a call with you!
https://embassynetwork.com/locations/template/apply%20for%20residency/

Basic expectations or agreements for members

please email us at hu****************@***il.com! We’d love to show you around or have you come and stay :)

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Partial Income-Sharing

Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.

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

Additional economic information

Regular fees: $350
Labor: Yes (2 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed

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

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Hot tub or hot springs, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Dietary restriction

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

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • 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
  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community

Gender composition

  • Majority cis (over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Guest Book

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

Location

  • California, United States

Needs and Offers

Offer
Need
  • Forming Communities
6 months ago

Pacific Northwest Cohousing Village Seeking Members

FIND YOUR HOME IN COMMUNITY AT ROOTED NORTHWEST A new kind of village is forming in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Rooted Northwest is building a future cohousing neighborhood of values-aligned households living with purpose. Together, they’re connecting to the land, to each other, and to a shared mission of supporting a more resilient future. Whether you’re raising a family, working remotely, entering retirement, or dreaming of a more intentional life, Rooted Northwest offers a chance to live differently. Here, you don’t just buy a home, you become part of a village built on connection, sustainability, and stewardship. One where neighbors collaborate, kids roam free, and everyday life is shaped by shared values like mutual support, environmental care, and community-driven living. 🏠 Homeownership at Rooted Northwest includes: • Beautiful, energy-efficient, privately-owned homes nestled on shared land • A walkable village designed for connection • Shared amenities and thriving farms in your backyard • Opportunities to co-create community life 🍃 Rooted in Community. Grounded in Regeneration. Rooted Northwest isn’t just a place to live, it’s a commitment to restoring connection between people, land, and food. By living here, you directly support a growing network of regenerative farmers stewarding land for future generations. 🔑 Now Selling: Reserve Your Home Rooted Northwest is now reserving a limited number of homes, with construction beginning soon. Prices start in the high $800,000s. We welcome households ready to help form this community. 😊 Join an information session to learn how to reserve your future home. JOIN AN INFO SESSION https://rootednw.org

Information

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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