Cohousing Directory - Community View
Sunward Cohousing
Ann Arbor
, Michigan
, United States
Website:
Contact:
Sunward Cohousing
424 Little Lake Dr
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 United States
Address Status:
Good as of 1/2/2010
Phone:
734-663-5516
Email:
contact10d [at] sunward [dot] org
Links:
Sunward Cohousing: our main web site
Sunhouse Co-op: one of our households
NASCO: an Ann Arbor neighbor of ours
We are a community of people dedicated to creating a place where resources are shared, the Earth is respected, diversity is welcomed, children play together in safety, growth is nurtured, and living in community enriches our lives. Our core values and vision help to provide a common foundation for our decisions and our relationships with each other.
Around one hundred people live at Sunward Cohousing, from wee ones to octogenarians. We have singles and couples, families and empty-nesters, and at least one household that functions as a cooperative. We have a diversity of backgrounds, occupations, spiritual and secular paths, and sexual orientations.
In our 11 plus years together on the land, we have experienced births, deaths, weddings, partings, members joining and departing, and much more. Many of us were drawn to Sunward for the sense of community and for the opportunity to live more lightly on the land. We steward 20 beautiful acres of woods, prairie, ponds, one quarter of which contains our clustered private homes and common house.
Former/Other Names:
Cohousing of Ann Arbor
Last Updated:
5/3/2010
Visitors Accepted
(with advance dialog)
Visitor Process:
We look forward to meeting prospective members! Please contact us well in advance and please be patient and persistent. It is difficult for us to accommodate drop-in visitors. Please read FIC’s guide to visiting communities ahead of your visit, and thank you for respecting the privacy of our home.
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Completed
Year Completed:
1998
Area:
20.1 acres (8.1 hectares)
(10 acres of woods, 5 acres of ponds, prairie, gardens, 5 acres of clustered homes)
Number of Units:
40
Square Feet in Common House:
7500
(2 floors)
Architect:
Cohousing Company; Sunstructures
Developer:
Self-developed
Commercial Lender:
National Bank of Detroit (NBD) provided the construction loan
Population
Members:
63
Non-Member Residents:
8
Open to new members:
Yes
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
Yes (Several leadership committees for topic areas)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
Labor Contribution:
Expected (minimum contribution of 5hr/month plus preparing common meals & community meeting participation)
Join Fee:
Yes (purchase of home or some level of homesharing arrangement.)
Regular Fees:
Yes (each household pay a monthly fee to community based partly on size.)
Land and Buildings
Community:
Other (outside city limits, not quite in the country, definitely not suburbia.)
Land Owners:
The community
No. of Residences:
40 (40 homes in 9 buildings)
Food, Etc.
% Food Grown:
1-5% (several organic garden sites)
Shared Meals:
2-5 times/week (Common House meals are Sunday, Tues, Wed, Thur)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
Tobacco Use:
Prohibited (in Common House)
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Current Editor(s): michael, cohousing
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