How to get involved with Mosaic Commons Cohousing

Contact us. Call 978-779-6286 or email info@mosaic-commons.org

Meet us.  Come to one of our monthly orientation meetings. After attending an orientation, interested people are invited to attend our general business meetings, committee meetings, and social gatherings. 

Learn about our community. General meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Childcare can be provided for a nominal cost. All members may participate in discussion. We encourage prospective members to listen to discussions in meetings and via email, and if it feels appropriate, to participate in the discussions. We ask that prospective members understand that our decision-making process remains a member-only function. Observing general meetings is a good way to get a sense of the group, how we make decisions, and where we are in the process of building our community. Prospective members who have attended orientation are also welcome to follow our e-mail discussions as much of our work in preparation for decision-making gets carried out by in that format. Our website is at www.mosaic-commons.org.

Learn as much as you can about cohousing. Read the books, CoHousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett, and The Cohousing Handbook by Chris Hansen. Both are vailable from on-line bookstores, by order at most general bookstores, and at many libraries.

Surf the web.  If you didn’t find us through the cohousing site, visit at www.cohousing.org.

Visit a Cohousing Community.  Cambridge Cohousing will set up tours, call 617-661-1682. New View, in Acton, will give you a tour of their cohousing community as well. Contact Nancy Wight at wight@newview.org or Nola Sheffer at nsheffer@aics.net. Keep in mind that cohousing communities vary in size, structure, location, priorities, and more.

Read more about our 3 levels of membership FULL, ASSOCIATE, and  FRIEND.

FRIEND of Mosaic Commons cohousing group

   - to be more involved with our community

A Friend is any person who is interested in the success of the project. A Friend may also wish to become part of the community at a later date.

Benefits include: 

• Regular progress updates and invitations to social events.

To become a friend:

• Attend an orientation meeting.
• Attend at least one general meeting.
• Pay $25 per year to Mosaic Commons Cohousing Group. (The yearly fee can be applied to associate or full membership fee within the same calendar year.)
• Complete and submit an information form.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER of Mosaic Commons Cohousing Group

   - to become a potential homebuyer or renter

Associate members are people who are interested in becoming full members. They want to work with the group before committing to the capital contributions required of full members, or they may be unable to fulfill the capital contribution requirements of the full member but expect to be able to in the near future.

Benefits:

• The opportunity to build community and form ties with future neighbors.
• The right to actively participate in the design, programming and decision making process.
• A copy of the Mosaic Commons Group Handbook with all the information and decisions made to date.

Responsibilities:

• Attend meetings regularly and workshops as scheduled.  Exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis.
• Participate on committees and perform other tasks necessary for the project to proceed.
• Demonstrate the ability to work constructively with Mosaic Commons community.
• Be familiar with the minutes of past meetings so as not to hamper the group’s process out of lack of awareness of previous decisions and discussions.
• Be familiar with the concept of cohousing, i.e. books, tours.
• Read all currently prepared legal documents and agreements.

Process for becoming an Associate Member:

• Thirty days of active participation including attending general business meetings and committee work.
• Complete and submit an information form and financial questionnaire.
• Sign the Initial Organizing Agreement (IOA)
• Pay a $50 membership fee per household.
• Pay monthly dues (assessed per adult).

At any time an Associate Member may become a Full Member by submitting a mortgage pre-qualification letter and paying the capital contributions to date.

NOTE: At present all members are either Friends or Associates, as we have not yet reached the point of assessing capital contributions, nor have we solicited mortgage pre-qualification letters. Currently Associate members may participate in decision-making and may block consensus. Once the group proceeds with Full membership, only Full members will have the right to block consensus.

FULL MEMBER of Mosaic Commons Cohousing Group

   - in order to be a homeowner

Full Members are people who are prepared to make the commitment to help build and live in our cohousing project.

Benefits:

• The opportunity to build community and form ties with future neighbors.
• Full participation and decision making rights during the design process of our community.
• Unit selection seniority. (Seniority is based on the date a household becomes a full member.)
• A copy of the Mosaic Commons Group Handbook with all the information and decisions made to date.

Responsibilities:

• Attend meetings regularly and workshops as scheduled.  Exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis.
• Be familiar with the concept of cohousing, i.e. books, tours.
• Participate on committees and perform other tasks necessary for the project to proceed.
• Participate in meeting facilitation.
• Demonstrate the ability to work constructively with Mosaic Commons community.
• Be familiar with the minutes of past meetings so as not to hamper the group’s process out of lack of awareness of previous decisions and discussions.
• Read all currently prepared legal documents and agreements.
• Make a proportional share of the capital contributions as needed to finance project development.
• Inform the finance committee within thirty days of any major change in financial status.

Process for becoming a Full Member:

• Thirty days of active participation including attending general business meetings and committee work.
• Obtain a mortgage pre-qualification letter and submit to finance committee.
• Complete and submit an information form and financial questionnaire.
• Sign the Initial Organizing Agreement (IOA)
• Pay a $50 membership fee per household.
• Pay monthly dues (assessed per adult).