Twin Cities Family Cooperative - Intergenerational Cohousing Community

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

  • Updated on: Mar 19, 2025 (17 days ago)
  • Created on: Oct 2, 2021 (over 3 years ago)

Mission Statement

Building a community that enjoys a rich quality of life for all ages, brings a more equitable society, and a harmonious and responsible relationship with the natural world.

Community Description

We are an intergenerational community of individuals, couples, and families. We are queer-affirming, gender-inclusive, and multicultural. We value the spectrums of the human experience and each individual’s diverse abilities. We support each other in raising children and throughout all stages of life.

We strive to live out of a place of abundance. We develop internal economic policies that actively push back against capitalist expectations, while also making compromises to allow members to maintain their financial autonomy.

We are committed to nonviolence and environmental sustainability. We believe in the potential for radical transformation of society and see communal living as an element of that change. We strive to make meaningful contributions to society, engaged in dismantling the systems of racism and oppression in our society.

We are currently 3 households of varying sizes and we are meeting with several more individuals and families who are interested in joining. We range in age from young children to elders.

We are open to those of any religious, faith, or spiritual practice as well as those with no religious, faith, or spiritual practice. Our members include people with Quaker, Christian, and no religious beliefs.

Group decisions are made using a consensus process to come up with our best decision.

We are starting with a multi-family building with 7 units. We have shared space for cooking, eating, socializing, and working together. We continue looking for a property that would allow us to grow to 15 households. If we build our own space, we will build with the environment and sustainability in mind. Our dream land would include lots of space to garden and play in as well as space for chickens. We would love to be near woods and a creek for the children to play in, maple trees for making maple syrup, and wildlife. We also plan to be able to take advantage of public transportation and be able to walk or bike to most places.

If there's something you dream of having and you don’t see it in our plan, maybe you’re the one to add it to our plan.

About

  • Type(s):
    • Ecovillage (organized around ecology and sustainability)
    • Cohousing (individual homes within group property)
    • Shared Housing, Cohouseholding, or Coliving (multiple individuals sharing a dwelling)
    • Transition Town or Eco-Neighborhood (focused on energy/resource resiliency)
  • Location: Urban

Housing

  • Status: We have land we have developed on
  • Area: 0.25 acres
  • Current Residence Types:
    • Multi-family homes
    • Room(s) in a house or building
  • Current Number of Residences: 7
  • Planned Number of Residences: 15
  • Planned Residence Types:
    • Multi-family homes
    • Room(s) in a house or building
  • Housing Provided: Included in Membership
  • Land Owned By: The entire community membership
  • Additional Comments: We are starting with a multi-family building with 7 units, which we will move into this summer. We will have shared space for cooking, eating, socializing, and working together. We continue looking for a property that would allow us to grow to 15 households. If we build our own space, we will build with the environment and sustainability in mind. Our dream land would include lots of space to garden and play in as well as space for chickens. We would love to be near woods and a creek for the children to play in, maple trees for making maple syrup, and wildlife. We also plan to be able to take advantage of public transportation and be able to walk or bike to most places.

Membership

  • Adult Members: 4
  • Child Members: 3
  • Percent Women: 21-30%
  • Percent Men: 31-40%
  • Percent Transgender: 0%
  • Percent Non-Binary: 21-30%
  • Visitors Accepted: Yes
  • Visitor Process: Please reach out to us through email if you would like to visit our community.
  • Open to New Members: Yes
  • Membership Process: Our process includes getting to know members, personal reflection and questionnaire, participating in group activities and meetings, and exploratory membership. Reach out to learn more.

Government

  • Decision Making: Consensus (everyone agrees)
  • Identified Leader: No
  • Leadership Core Group: No

Economics

  • Dues, Fees, or Shared Expenses: Yes
  • Shared Income: Partial Sharing of Income
  • Required Weekly Labor Contribution: 10
  • Open to Members with Existing Debt: Yes
  • Additional Comments: All members contribute to the expenses of the community according to their ability. Members contribute 1/3 of their monthly income and those who are able, loan money to the community. Members also contribute a minimum of 10 hours of labor each week through, meal preparation, cleaning, yard work, shopping, childcare, administrative duties, etc.

Sustainability Practices

  • Energy Infrastructure: We use both systems.
  • Energy Sources: Clean Energy from the Grid
  • Planned Renewable Energy Generation: 100%
  • Current Food Produced: 0%, or close to 0%
  • Planned Food Produced: Up to 25%
  • Food Produced Locally: From 50-75%

Lifestyle

  • Common Facilities:
    • Common House
    • Garden(s)
    • Vehicle Share
    • Library
    • Fire pit
    • Swingsets & play areas
    • Internet
  • Internet Available: Yes, community provides it
  • Internet Fast?: Yes, exceptionally.
  • Cellphone Service: Good for most people.
  • Shared Meals: Approximately all dinners
  • Dietary Practices:
    • Omnivorous (plants and animals)
    • Local
    • Organic (no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers)
    • GMO Free (only non-genetically modified organisms)
    • Mostly Vegetarian
  • Dietary Choice or Restrictions: No - people may eat however they wish.
  • Special Diets OK: Yes
  • Alcohol Use: Yes, used occasionally.
  • Tobacco Use: Yes, used seldomly, or ceremoniously.
  • Additional Diet Comments: We are a tobacco-free community but would be okay with ceremonial use.
  • Common Spiritual Practice(s):
    • Ecumenical (accepts all religions or spiritual practices)
    • Christian
    • Quaker
    • Atheist
  • Spiritual Practice Expected?: No
  • Education Style(s):
    • Home Schooling
    • Private School off the property
    • Public Schooling
    • Up to each family or individual
  • Healthcare Options: Up to each family, household, or individual

Cohousing

  • Building Site Status: Own Site
  • Has a Shared Common Building: Yes

Fair Housing Laws

This community acknowledges that their listing does not include any potential violations of the Fair Housing Law, or that they do not provide housing. For any questions about this topic please see our Content Policies and contact FIC with any questions or concerns: directory@ic.org.

Keywords

family, sustainability, social justice, equity, queer, gender-inclusive, children, multigenerational