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

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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
Offer

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