Our vision
The values we share and have agreed to live by . . .
- Green Haven cohousing is committed to creating a balance between independence and interdependence. The community consists of privately owned, self-sufficient homes and a common house, which includes facilities for shared meals and a variety of other community resources.
- We are devoted to preserving, protecting and nurturing the natural environment. As such, we consider the Green Haven community, the wider human community and the health of the Earth when making decisions and choices. We are committed to learning about and adopting practices that minimize consumption of energy, water, and other natural resources.
- Our community is planned, designed and managed by the members with attention to aesthetics and in a manner that supports our values. We strive to make ownership as affordable as possible. The community is pedestrian centered and promotes the physical and emotional health, safety and security of our members and guests.
- Green Haven is multigenerational. We help people enter, stay and participate in the community throughout their lives.
- Our communications, relationships, actions and behavior are honest, direct, respectful, nonviolent and caring. We are committed to equal access to power in decision-making. Our primary way of attaining this goal is by using formal consensus.
- We actively sustain our community and maintain our property by sharing work and responsibilities. We strive to work cooperatively for mutual benefit, while respecting each other’s autonomy and privacy.
- We are dedicated to fostering a friendly, open, vibrant, mutually supportive atmosphere. We make space in our lives for play and artistic expression. We encourage continual learning, skill sharing and teaching. We maintain a balance of private and community life with respect for individual and family needs for quiet, solitude and privacy.
- We serve as an active member of the wider community.
- We seek out and are open to new ideas and to all interested people who share our values and are able to share fully and fairly in community responsibilities. We do not exclude people on any other basis.