Associate Info
If you think you might like to live in
North Oakland Cohousing within the next two
to three years, and you are willing to put
in the time and financial resources to be
an active participant of the group, you can
pursue associate status with North Oakland
Cohousing.
Associates are non-equity
participants of the group (they do not yet
own a share of the project) but have expressed
serious interest in group involvement and are
pursuing the possibility of becoming equity
members. Associates pay a non-refundable annual
administrative fee and take active participation
in group activity and decisions.
Associate Responsibilities
Associate membership in North Oakland
Cohousing is by household. Associate households
agree to the following responsibilities and privileges:
- At least one adult member from every
associate household must regularly participate
in the group's general meetings. The household
must make arrangements with the Membership
team if at least one household member can't
attend more than two general meetings in
a row.
- All adult members of the household must
serve on at least one North Oakland Cohousing
team, or to contribute to the work of North
Oakland Cohousing in some other tangible
way.
- All adult members of every household
agree to attend periodic workshops.
- All new associates must agree to support
the previous decisions of the group,
as expressed in the group's decision
log. Agreement to support the group's
process does not necessarily mean that the
household agrees with all decisions. However,
when joining North Oakland Cohousing, the
household agrees to inherit the structure and
direction already adopted by the group, and
to work within the group's framework.
- Associates participate in the business,
discussion and decision making of the group,
but may not block consensus.
- Association with North Oakland Cohousing
expires after a year, at which point it can
be renewed by the associate household.
Associate households pay a non-refundable
yearly administrative fee of $250 for as long
as they want to stay Associates.
- Associates are not guaranteed a unit
at North Oakland Cohousing. However, as
long as units are available, an associate
household may apply to become an equity member after
being an active associate for six consecutive
weeks.
- Each adult in household attends an
information session and a community meeting.
- Study the info packet and learn about
cohousing in general and our community's
history in particular.
- Notify the Membership Team that you're
interested in becoming an associate; schedule
a meeting with the intake team (no more
than 1 month after attending a meeting, and
within 2 months of attending an information session),
and be assigned a mentor. E-mail NOCJoin@yahoogroups.com.
- Meet with the intake team to discuss
rights and responsibilities of associates,
and ask questions about the community, the
project and cohousing.
- Each adult joins at least one committee,
task force or team.
- Each adult signs up for the North Oakland
Cohousing internet communication venues.
- The household acquires the book
Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing
Ourselves.
- The household signs the associate
Agreement and pays $250 for the year.
Friends of North Oakland Cohousing
If you are not interested in joining our
group at this time but would like to support
us and keep in touch, you can become a friend
of North Oakland Cohousing. A friend of Nocoho
is any person who supports us, or is interested
in us in any way, but is not currently on track
to live at North Oakland Cohousing.
Friends who want to get occasional
announcements about our activities can join
the NOCohoFriends@yahoogroups.com list. To
join the list, simply send a blank email to NOCohoFriends-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or talk to a Membership team member to receive
an invitation to the list.