San francisco bay area intentional communities

I had just landed my first full-time writing job out of college. I was coming here alone, and I knew that I wanted to move in with a group of people.

I answered a Craigslist ad, filled out an online application and underwent a series of casual phone interviews — and there I was on the doorstep of a person co-op that spanned the lower two floors of a four-story walk-up on the north side of Alamo Square.

For the first few weeks, I felt that my social capacity was being worn down to a nub: there were so many new faces; there was so much happening all the time; and I was always a step behind. The people were warm and welcoming, however, and their home became my home. Within the month, the lease was up, and the community disbanded due to a difference in vision between the two cofounders.

The members were variously scattered across the city and the East Bay. I joined a wave of 38 people who were moving into a bedroom, four-story Victorian mansion around the block.

I lived in that room for nine months — a gestation — and my experience became a fascinating journey through the building blocks of humanity. I discovered that community is a synecdoche for society, and that any human system is just a web of agreements. I learned what it takes to keep a co-living unit afloat amid the various logistical necessities of city living: the rent, the utilities, the food, the facilities and how to facilitate the needs and wants of 38 unique individuals.

I radically challenged my preconceptions about sharing space, time and resources. I fell deeply in love, and I found confidence in my art. To the uninitiated, a person community living so densely in a single home often comes across as mad. In the act, however, it felt as though nothing could be more natural. There were deep and frustrating downsides, of course: high membership turnover, too little privacy and some unresolved interpersonal tensions.

We were rarely able to wrangle a meaningful consensus, with so many people constantly in and out. Yet the physical closeness, coupled with a culture of radical acceptance, fostered perhaps the most warm and loving community of humans that I have ever experienced.

Eventually, I burned out on the sheer density of Chateau Ubuntu. First Place , Phoenix: First Place is developing a mixed-use property and new home option that is supported and community connected. The property includes apartments for residents, a residential academy for students and a training institute for professionals and support service providers. Please note this is a partial list of housing options and does not purport to include all organizations serving people with autism.

Inclusion of any organization does not imply endorsement, and omission does not imply disapproval. The information is gathered primarily from public sources and is not guaranteed to be accurate. To suggest additions, please email [email protected]. Thank you for your support! Contact us: [email protected]. Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area is a volunteer-run, grassroots organization currently focusing on expanding the limited lifespan care options for the dramatically increasing numbers of adults with autism.

We do not have staff to provide individual advice about diagnosis, treatment, placement, or otherwise. We honor the old and welcome the new. We are turning our best practices into ritual. We are thriving.

We are committed to conscious evolution through the arts, self-awareness, social change, activism, sustainability and the rejuvenation for our Earth, and compassionate living. We work, both individually and collaboratively, to make the world a more vibrant, loving, and better place to live. Our home is a magical 3-story mansion, consisting of 19 bedrooms, a 5-office healing sanctuary, a tea house, and a movement, arts and events space. This former rectory is filled with stories of its own as it has served as a community anchor and place for healing on Fillmore for over years.

The Center SF Teahouse, located in our basement, is 3, sq. It serves as the nucleus for a dynamic social hub that curates a selection of fine teas and like minded people. Manzanita is a co-created intentional family woven together with the fibers of love, gratitude and acceptance.

Manzanita is a hearth and a home. Manzanita is a 12 person co-operative living creation in the thick of Haight Ashbury, founded on November of Our home is a melting pot of humans; brewing constantly with a mix of self expression, artistic creation, civic engagement, friendship, collaboration and community. The values that our community were founded upon are the pillars of our home and the veins of our collective heart.

These values are but not limited to : radical self love, kindness and curiosity, collective and individual sustainability practices, self-reflection and growth, deep and unending expressed gratitude, awe and wonder, radical inclusion, play for play's sake, empathy and assumption of best intent in others, respect and non-violent communication, and shared food and resources. Our co-op exists to create a safe and loving space for its community members to call home while also bettering our immediate and surrounding communities through outreach and engagement.

The location of our home allows for a vibrant and unique experience in SF living. We love dreaming big together, making music and dancing together, cooking together, learning together and most of all loving and laughing together.

The residents are all very different, but we share a couple core values, including loving our Earth and the people that it is comprised of. Staying at Agape is likely very different than most living situations you've grown accustomed to and relies on the collective effort of everyone involved to keep our home running efficiently. Each of us have our own unique areas of responsibility that help sustain our community at large and we ask that anyone who stays with us contributes in a way that feels right to them.

We believe that a community that cares for and empowers each other is key to a fulfilling and impactful life. We're just a group of reasonable adults who believe life is happier and more interesting when you're surrounded by diverse people who inspire you. We're introvert-friendly, have weekly group dinners, organize occasional retreats, and host friends and acquaintances for semi-regular potlucks. For short bios and links from our residents, check out our homepage:.

An autonomous, self-determined intentional community, built around transformation and empowerment, with and for the formerly incarcerated community, manifesting alternative justices approaches and values.

The Real House is a pretty new co-op, founded in May We have a beautiful home that doubles as a small event space, and a place for gatherings and workshops with a spacious peaceful garden out back with apple and plum trees and black berries! Founded in , and still going strong with 7 lovely humans with educators, therapists, students, communicators, and artists among our ranks and 2 lovely hens. We're into creativity, community, and sustainability. Grammy's House on Facebook. The Manor of Being MoB is a community of heart-centered, embodied thought leaders.

The Rabbithole is an experiment in a better way to live, where we share more of our lives with the people closest to us, grow together, and cultivate a uniquely kind, playful, odd space. RGB House put it best: "We believe the people we surround ourselves with can make us a better, happier version of ourselves. Values and Vision. Apply to Live Here.

C Apply as a Resident Donate on Patreon.