Genesee Gardens Cohousing :: Communities Directory

Formed: 2002 Established: 2003

This page last updated:2/14/2012

Genesee Gardens Cohousing

Lansing, Michigan,

United States

(Genesee Neighborhood, downtown)

Genesee Garden Cohousing is a diverse group of neighbors and friends growing a retrofit cohousing community rooted in working together, sharing resources, living with compassion and mutual respect, actively caring for our natural and social environments, embracing peace and tolerance, and promoting the health of ourselves and our wider community.

Our current membership consists of two families with children, two single parents with a child, and nine single adults with grown or no kids (total fifteen adults and six children). We meet Fridays for a meal together and biweekly Wednesdays for business, plus one Saturday a month for longer meetings tackling larger topics.

In addition to meals and meetings, we also gather together to share happy and sad events in our lives, celebrate holidays, and watch movies. We swap childcare. We have work-parties to accomplish larger community tasks, and garden together.

We are a retrofit or infill type of cohousing project, using existing houses in the neighborhood to create our intentional community. We have friendly relations with most of our immediate neighbors, some of whom participate in some activities with us. Currently twelve houses are owned by members of Genesee Garden Cohousing. One of these houses is still in the process of major renovation.

We are looking for new members! There are houses for sale nearby that, once purchased, could be included as part of Genesee Garden Cohousing. There are also options for renting, both within Genesee Gardens Cohousing and in the immediate neighborhood.

Status: Looking for new members

Contact:

Karen White
800 Bancroft Court
Lansing, Michigan 48915 United States
Phone: 517-282-6858

Michael Hamlin
732 W Genesee St
Lansing, Michigan 48915 United States
Phone: 517-485-3508

Links:

WikiMapia: Map of our neighborhood in Lansing

Location: Our location in downtown Lansing

GGC community mailing list: mailing list (primarily) for community use

Community location is placed at the center of the zip/postal code, city/state, or city/country (not based on street addresses)

Former/Other Names: Lansing Cohousing

This page last updated:2/14/2012

Visitors Accepted

Visitor Process: Please get in touch with one of the contacts for Genesee Garden Cohousing to arrange for a visit.

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): 16 (count varies depending on criteria) Non-member Residents: 4 Open to new members: Yes	Government Decision Making: By consensus Identified Leader: No Leadership Core Group: Yes (a three-member board manages ownership of the common house)	Labor and Money Financial Style: Members have independent finances Labor Contribution: Expected (We take turns on some common house responsibilities, we have a community garden, and we hold work parties to work together on larger projects.) Join Fee: No Regular Fees: Yes (We have monthly dues which largely go towards bills and ownership of the common house.)
Land and Buildings Urban Land Owned By: Individual community member(s) (We will form an LLC for the common house.) Number of Residences: 11 (count varies with criteria) Cohousing: Yes (We are an urban retrofit cohousing community.)	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 1-5% (we do grow 100% of our garlic, though!) Share Community Meals: 1 time/week Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (Some individuals are (or have been) vegetarian or raw.) Alcohol Use: Used occasionally Tobacco Use: Seldom used (Prohibited in the common house. Currently no smokers in our group.)	Social Factors Common Spiritual Practices: No Educational Style(s): Private school off the property :: Public schooled

Cohousing Details

Cohousing Status:

Retrofitting

(In a sense we are "completed" because we have been living in cohousing since 2003, but we are still "retrofitting" in the sense that we continue to grow.)

Number of Units:

11 houses currently owned by our members, plenty more in our neighborhood for sale or rent!

Square Feet in Common House:

1600

Become an Editor Current editor(s): prgodwin, myrrhlin, whitekaren

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