Match for free! - Cooperative Living Communities

permieJoe

Millennial

Male

Dothan, AL

Speed of commitment:

Slow: Open to a situation where trust can build over time, Fast: Open to a situation that takes everyone being all-in from the start (with contracts & clarity), In between: Open to a commitment after a defined time for a trial run

IC types I would live in or am forming:

Cohousing: private residences around shared space, Ecovillage or agrihood, Artist collective & live work space, Spiritual commune, Life partner with community values, Off-grid commune

Food production:

Working toward producing all or nearly all of our own food, Working toward a mix of producing our own food and buying groceries

IC seeker or founder/resident:

IC curious: I’m new to this, so I’m investigating what might be a fit for me.

Service-based IC (population):

Animal rescue, Physical disability, Learning disability, Low income families with children, Low income LGBTQ+, Low income ethnic minority, Low income elderly, Addiction recovery, Escaped from sex trafficking, Runaway or homeless minors, Aged out foster teens, In-system foster kids

Service-based IC (description):

Short term shelter, Long term shelter, Permanent residence

Vulnerable population as a proportion of residents:

Less than half

Residential proximity:

Separate units (separate apartments but some shared common areas with shared resources), Shared land (separate houses possibly with some shared buildings), Multi-house collective (shared resources, but IC houses might be scattered within a traditional neighborhood)

Ownership types:

Rented with shared housing or shared land, Rent-to-own with shared housing or shared land, Joint land purchase to subdivide, hold shares, or hold "tenancy in common", Join an established IC to learn and possibly stay, Whatever the group can agree on

Reasons for shared housing:

Ecological sustainability to reduce carbon footprint, Lower cost of living, Sharing resources (spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles, gardens), Sharing meals and chores, Helping each other with childcare, Having social interaction while limiting the amount of influence or interaction with society, Having a “chosen family” to share good times and support each other thru hard times, Friendship and sharing activities, Traveling frequently and wanting a home base that’s maintained

Décor of shared areas:

Not important

Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:

Tidy in shared spaces, with a designated place for things

Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):

All food counters & tables wiped down after each use, All food counters & tables wiped down daily to not attract pests, Disinfectants must be ecologically safe products (chemical sensitivity), Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests

Yard or landscaping:

Not applicable

Neighborhood or scenery:

Scenery is not high on the list of property characteristics that's worth paying extra for

Current city/town and state/province:

Dothan, AL

Nation(s) of current residence:

United States

Preferred regions:

Canada, Pacific Coast U.S., Rocky Mountain U.S., Northeast U.S., Southeast U.S.

Population density:

Small town, Rural, Remote

Duration of my current location:

Want to eventually commit to a permanent location if it goes well, Happy with current location but open to considering other options

Resource sharing:

Time bank, Car share, Child care swap, Pet care swap, Garden (share work and produce), Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Joint business (share work and profits), Emergency preparedness efforts, Meal preparation, Care of elderly, disabled, or incapacitated relatives

My socioeconomic status:

Substantial assets and higher income

Leisure and lifestyle:

Somewhat frugal about leisure and entertainment expenditures

Leadership availability:

I'm willing to join as part of a core leadership team

Roles and responsibilities:

Clear responsibilities are important to minimize conflict, Flexible responsibilities are often best, which aren't assigned or micromanaged

Practical skills:

Childcare, Cleaning, Gardening or crop cultivation, Permaculture, Carpentry & repair, Farm animal care, Bookkeeping, Group facilitation, Organizing & labeling

Experience or schooling:

Horticulture or permaculture, Carpentry & construction, Welding, Waterworks, plumbing, sanitation, Finance, economics, timebanking, Political science & history, Computer science, Electrician, Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Experience teaching adults, Travel, Musical performance

Occupation(s) and expertise:

yoga teacher, electrical engineer, software engineer, chemical engineer, landscaping, customer service, teaching, research

Years lived in an IC:

No experience, but determined to make it work

Experience in community:

I have lived with a family, in a dorm environment, on a ship at sea, and with roommates.

Professional certifications or degrees:

RYT-200, MS in Electrical Engineering, BS in Chemical Engineering

Generation:

Millennial

Generations intended in IC:

Children (born 2013 or later), Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), Millennial (born 1981 – 1996), Gen X (born 1965 – 1980), Younger boomer (born 1955 – 1964), Older boomer (born 1946 – 1954), Pre-boomer (born before 1946)

Number of working adults:

Alcohol (tolerable rules):

Should not be allowed on the premises, Should be allowed after work hours, Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic

Tobacco smoking (tolerable rules):

Should only be allowed outdoors

Cannabis (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed with medical prescription, Should be allowed after work hours, Should be allowed in designated areas only, Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic

Psychedelics (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed only in a legal supervised therapeutic setting, Should be allowed by those authorized to use them for ceremonial purposes

Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):

Should not be allowed on the premises, Should be grounds for expulsion from the community, Should be dealt with by group decision in a manner to support non-use, Should not be policed by the community, as long as no minors are involved and others are not negatively impacted

Overnight guests (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed in designated guest areas, Should be subject to group decision only if it becomes problematic, Should not be a concern of the community, as long as everyone's privacy is respected

Daytime visitor access (tolerable rules):

Should require that community is informed of planned visits, Should be discussed and limited by the IC agreements, Should not be restricted after certain individuals or visitor types are approved, Should not be restricted

Nudity (tolerable rules):

Should be limited to private rooms or private residences (as is the norm outside the IC), Should be permitted within designated areas of the IC (e.g., a gated hot tub), Should be welcome and discussed through the governance process, to consider each individual’s preferences

Required disclosures:

Past felony conviction, On sex offender registry, Current addictions even if under treatment, Background check for landlord/tenant disputes

Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:

No mandate of strict adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices

My religious beliefs or practices:

Spiritual but not religious, Buddhist, Hindu

Practices welcome in IC:

Atheist, Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious, Christian, Muslim/Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Bahai, Spiritualist, Pagan, Wiccan, Taoist, Jainist, Astrology, Pantheist, Native American / First Nations, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Zoroastrian, Kabbalah, Tarot, Mediumship, Near-death experience or out-of-body, Theosophical Society, New Thought (law of attraction), New Age (mix), 12 steps (from AA, NA, etc.)

Ecological preservation ethics:

Local food commitment for low carbon footprint, Eating vegan, vegetarian, or certified humane meat, Use of alternative power such as solar or wind, Commitment to reduce, re-use, recycle, Gray water recycling where permitted, Composting toilet

Size of community:

Under 6, 6 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 50, 51 to 150, Over 150

Sense of togetherness:

An IC should foster close interpersonal relationships, Relationships should develop naturally, not thru team building exercises or mandated group circles

My gender + number:

Male

Genders welcome in IC:

Non-binary, Male, Female

My current couple situation:

I'm available

Couple situations welcome in IC:

Committed closed partnership(s) (e.g., married monogamous couples), Single (not in a committed closed partnership), Available somewhat (e.g., in open relationship), Not available (e.g., you're okay if you're not going to be a threat to my primary relationship), Not applicable

My sexual orientation:

Straight

Sexual identities welcome in IC:

Heterosexual (straight), Cisgender (gender aligns with natal sex), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner), Non-monogamous, LGBTQ+ (non-normative gender identity and/or same-sex attraction), Polyamorous (in more than one physically intimate relationship with consent of all involved)

Sex & intimacy norms in IC:

Primarily left to the individual to determine, with the understanding that personal choices can impact community culture, A topic not discussed by the community, A topic discussed with curiosity and respect, allowing for experimentation around what works for the community, Other

Physical affection:

I enjoy hugs and lean toward the easily affectionate side

My availability for physical intimacy:

Prefer not to share at this time

Children in IC:

Children are welcome but not a necessity (not a dealbreaker issue)

Children present in household:

No dependent children

I prefer that children not be exposed to

violent images or lyrics, vulgar language

Dogs:

Not applicable, with separate residences each household decides

Cats:

Not applicable, with separate residences each household decides

Pets or farm animals I have or want:

chickens, any farm animals

Organic:

Commitment to all organic, Organic non-certified is okay, Commitment to local-grown as much as possible, Commitment to non-GMO

Shared meals (acceptable norms):

Shared meals should be optional, Shared meals are necessary community glue

Medical risk bubbles:

I can commit to taking extra precautions for others in a high-risk category

Pandemic norms:

Whatever results from group decision-making process

Noise level:

One quiet space should be reserved for those who need to focus on work, As long as the vibe is positive, loud gatherings can be frequent, A lively social environment should be the norm, Different noise tolerance can be managed by having designated times for noise and quiet, Just keep it down enuf that neighbors don't complain

Sleep:

Not applicable (e.g., not planning to share living space that's close to sleeping space)

Comfort & convenience:

I enjoy a rugged life and hard physical work, I can participate in a rugged life and hard physical work, I can tolerate extreme temperatures, I can participate with others who do not tolerate rugged life or extreme temperatures

Tech savvy:

I’m pretty good troubleshooting tech

Wifi:

I need to be consistently connected to wifi during work hours

Off-grid:

Is the definite only plan, Is a workable favored option, Is workable for a part time location, Is okay but not so important

Leisure time:

playing music, listening to music, reading, learning, working on projects, laying in a hammock, hiking, etc

Films, books, music, podcasts, shows:

Royal Tenenbaums, Hyperion, Star Trek

Political orientation:

Outsider left

Civic, political, or activist groups or movements:

Arbor Day Foundation, Sierra Club

Extroversion (under 50% means more introverted than average):

Emotional even keel (under 50% means more ups & downs than average):

Agreeableness (under 50% means less compliant or more contrary than average):

Conscientiousness (under 50% means more easygoing than average):

Open to new experiences / imagination (under 50% means more traditional than average, sticks with "tried and true"):

Tendency for dealing with others' expectations:

Questioner

Myers-Briggs (& Keirsey-Bates) temperament type:

ISFJ

Enneagram type:

type 9 (the peacemaker) with 9w1 wing

Astrological sign(s):

Capricorn

Weaknesses and superpowers:

I find I need some quiet/alone time to reflect and focus on hobbies like music, so I find it difficult to be constantly social. But, this alone time recharges me and helps me learn and grow.

A note about me/us:

I am really looking forward to meeting fellow community seekers! :-)

Dealbreakers:

I don't have hard and fast dealbreakers.

Dealmakers:

I am very interested in living in an ecologically sustainable community. This is one of my chief interests, so I would like the community to have that goal to some degree.