Fresno Cohousing (a.k.a. La Querencia)

Formed: 2004 Established: 2008

This page last updated:5/16/2013

Fresno - 2658 East Alluvial Avenue, California,

United States

(On Alluvial Avenue between Chestnut and Willow)

Live in the beautiful San Joaquin Valley.

La Querencia is a 28-home community on 2.8 acres in Northeast Fresno, in the heart of California. The community is close to good schools, churches (next door to the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Buddhist Temple), shopping, and bike and walking paths. Fresno offers a cornucopia of cultural activities, including festivals, events, galleries, concerts, opera, and theater, and ample outdoor recreation opportunities. Fresno is within an easy drive of Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Pacific coast, and the California wine and gold country.

Eco-friendly features include: photovoltaic solar panels on every home; passive solar features on the pool; whole-house fans; Energy Star appliances; natural light; dual-flush low-flow toilets; low-VOC and high-recycled content in flooring, paint, and work surfaces; dual-pane windows; advanced framing techniques; cellulose insulation, and more.

Additional amenities include: gym, pool, accessibility lift for pool, spa, community-wide WiFi, workshop, organic vegetable garden, common house with gourmet kitchen, water and waterfowl view, guest room, children's playroom, youth room, lounge with fireplace, front porches or balconies and trellises.

We don't currently have homes available for rent but we may in the future.

Status: COMPLETE

Website: http://www.fresnocohousing.org

Contact:

Pat Looney-Burman
California United States
Phone: 866-246-7717

Lynette Bassman
Fresno, California United States

Links:

Fresno Cohousing: Please visit our site for photos, architectural drawings, information about Fresno, etc.

New Community Video: Residents created a video which gives an overview of life in the community.

Fresno cohousing blog: The random day to day activities and events in Fresno Cohousing, La Querencia. A gathering of people living in community, sharing resources and creating a better world, one neighborhood at a time.

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Fresno community, energy efficient homes, close to Yosemite National Park

See more Videos from Fresno Cohousing (a.k.a. La Querencia)

Former/Other Names: La Querencia

This page last updated:5/16/2013

Visitors Accepted

(First Sunday of the month, 1-3 pm)

Visitor Process: Open house first Sunday of every month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., contact us at info@fresnocohousing.org, or call 866-246-7717 for an appointment.

Affiliations: Fresno Cohousing (a.k.a. La Querencia)

Network Affiliations:

Coho/US

Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:

Our community does not discriminate in regards to housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex/gender, family status (i.e. having children, not having children, or being pregnant), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income, age, creed, personal appearance, political affiliation, HIV infection, military/veteran status, unfavorable military discharge, gender identity or expression, receiving public assistance, or being the victim of domestic abuse.

Population Members(adults and children): 50 (this number is approximate) Open to new members: Yes (We are open to people of all ages and family configurations. We have homes for sale and may in the future have homes for rent.)	Government Decision Making: By consensus (We use formal consensus for most important decisions, and supermajority for others.) Identified Leader: No (We are non-hierarchically structured.) Leadership Core Group: Yes (We have a coordinating committee that is made up of liaisons from all other committees.)	Labor and Money Financial Style: Members have independent finances Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: Yes (Since community members have to purchase a home, they would have to qualify for a mortgage. As long as that can happen, they are welcome.) Labor Contribution: Expected (Members are expected to be on at least one committee, and come to meetings regularly. We all share the work of maintaining our community. We each cook a common meal once per month and serve on meal cleanup crew twice per month.) Join Fee: No (Members have to qualify for a mortgage, which generally requires a down payment, the percentage of which depends on your lending institution. There are monthly HOA dues.) Regular Fees: Yes (There could be capital calls at some point if we as a group decide to make upgrades or improvements, but nothing like that is anticipated for the near future.)
Land and Buildings Urban (People from a big city would be more likely to see our location as suburban, but here, it is considered an urban location here.) Area: 2.8 acres (1.1 hectares) Land Owned By: Other Number of Residences: 28 (There are no commercial buildings. In addition to the homes, we have a 4000 square foot common house designed for fulltime community use, plus a completely outfitted workshop, optional garages, and a pool building that houses an exercise room and a teen room.) Cohousing: Yes	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 1-5% Share Community Meals: 2-5 times/week Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual (Our community is not bound to any particular dietary philosophy, but we will respect the food needs of all members when creating common meal menus.) Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (We have a mixture of dietary practices in our group.) Alcohol Use: Used occasionally (Some members use no alcohol, but others use alcohol occasionally.) Tobacco Use: Prohibited	Social Factors Common Spiritual Practices: No (All are welcome, with or without a spiritual/religious path. The only requirement is agreement and compliance with our mission and values statements.) Which Spiritual Traditions(s): (No shared spiritual path.) Educational Style(s): Public schooled (Residents are free to make their own school choices. There are excellent award-winning schools available.)

Cohousing Details

Cohousing Status:

Completed

Year Completed:

2008

Number of Units:

The community has 28 units

Square Feet in Common House:

2475

(We have a very elegant gourmet kitchen (although each individual home has its own kitchen), dining/multipurpose room (with bamboo flooring), sitting/TV room, guest apartment, shared laundry (although every home has connections for its own laundry facilities), kids room, mailroom, and dining patio - all a part of the Common House.)

Architect:

Katie McCamant and Chuck Durrett.

Developer:

Cohousing Partners

Click an image to see it full size.

Become an Editor Current editor(s): lbassman, PamelakRank, elizabethrogers

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