Prudence Crandall House :: Communities Directory

Formed: 1972 Established: 1972

This page last updated:4/11/2011

Prudence Crandall House

Oakland, California,

United States

(One mile south of U.C. Berkeley)

Prudence Crandall House (PCH) has evolved our 1970's model of feminist collective living into the 21st century within our 1908, 3,000-sq-ft Craftsman house on the Berkeley-Oakland border.

We have evolved from four single women of two generations to a stable mixed household / home of 5 wonderful adults, a teen and 2 children.

We are:

- one of the original women owners from 1972, who is now 67 years old

- a heterosexual married couple (ages 35 & 37) with a six year old girl

- a mother (age 58), with a 15 year old son

- a 42 year old single mother with 6 year old daughter (who is here 1/2 time)

The house itself has been improved to better accommodate collective living. Green features include far more insulation, wood-burning stove with a catalytic converter, solar hot water collector, and photovoltaic panels on the roof. We have been composting since 1972; with the recent addition of curb-side green-bins for city-sponsored composting, we no longer do it in our own backyard. Perennial crops include raspberries, apples-pears, figs, persimmons, pomegranate and herbs. This year, after extensive work to improve our vegetable garden, we harvested a bounty of tomatoes, basil, strawberries, kale, lettuce...

My neighbor, Anna Barnard, bought the house next door ten years ago with hopes of strengthening our dynamic neighborhood, into a more cohesive model of "new urbanism." At the same time, Spring F., one of the original PCH owners, has dreams of organic-evolution of existing homes/units into a cohousing community.

As of 12/2010 we have an opportunity to purchase one adjacent home soon, and to find renters for two addition adjacent houses. Anna shares her house with two renters who are not involved with PCH or the neighborhood. She has improved the temperature and sound insulation, does French Intensive gardening in raised beds and commutes by bicycle. Anna edits the newsletter for our active neighborhood group of four adjacent streets with 148 households.

Contact:

434 66th St
Oakland, California 94609-1104 United States
Phone: 510-652-7600 (home office, please call other than working hours)

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: Alcatraz - 66th St CoHousing

This page last updated:4/11/2011

Visitors Accepted

(Dinner & in our guest room for $30/35)

Visitor Process: It is easiest for us to host you if you arrange it about two weeks before you arrive. We welcome visitors to join us for diner and/or stay overnight. Sometimes we have a guest room available for rent.

Network Affiliations:

Fellowship for Intentional Community

:: 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.

Because our housing is a single housing unit and requires the sharing of bathroom, kitchen and common space membership/residency may be restricted based on sex/gender in accordance with the law. Our community does not discriminate based on race/color, national origin, religion, 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 domestic abuse.

Population Members(adults and children): 9 (6 adults, 1 teen, 2 child (1 ft, 1 pt)) Non-member Residents: 0 Open to new members: Yes (When we have an opening.)	Government Decision Making: By consensus (We have a full house meeting every sesond week plus a 3 hr work party @ every 4th weekend.) Identified Leader: Yes (The resident owner of each of our two adjacent houses.) Leadership Core Group: Yes (All adult members)	Labor and Money Financial Style: Members have independent finances (Minor adjustments are made for varying finances.) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: Yes (As long as they pay rent, utilities & food on time.) Labor Contribution: Expected (Share of cooking, grocery shopping, and meal clean-up, + house duties + 3 hours workday @ every 4th week plus house duties.) Join Fee: No Regular Fees: No
Land and Buildings Urban (One mile S. of UCB 7 houses from an major street) Area: 0.1 acres (0.0 hectares) (50 x 100' lot) Land Owned By: Individual community member(s) Number of Residences: 2 (No cohouser bought when the neighboring houses were for sale in 2003.& '05) Cohousing: Yes (Prices have dropped enough for others to buy adjacent to us in our great neighborhood.)	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 6-20% (We have composted vegi beds with drip irrigation, fruiti trees, etc.) Share Community Meals: Nearly all meals (Mon. & Wed. evenings + cooking rice & beans + for each other @ 434, 0 @ 438) Dietary Choice or Restrictions: There are some dietary restrictions (We cook shared meals without tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, cow dairy, & wheat.) Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (No vegetarian at this time.) Alcohol Use: Seldom used Tobacco Use: Prohibited	Social Factors Common Spiritual Practices: No Which Spiritual Traditions(s): Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions) (Eclectic) Educational Style(s): Public schooled (There is an active parents support group for our local public school.)

Cohousing Details

Cohousing Status:

Completed

Number of Units:

2 large houses, with 9 adults and 1 full-time and 1 part-time child.

Square Feet in Common House:

660

(in PCH)

Architect:

1908 Craftsmen houses with minor improvements.

Developer:

Owner occupants and subcontractors

Click an image to see it full size.

Become an Editor Current editor(s): springfriedlander

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