The next level of involvement is to become an associate member, which will give you the opportunity to get to know us better and find out more about the project. If you decide that you want to  be a part of the project you can apply to become an equity member and a Director of the cohousing development company.

Associate members can attend workshops, meetings and social events, so you get a feel for the group, how we operate, and where the project is heading.

Associate members pay a non-refundable fee of $500 for a 3 month period, which includes a copy of the book "Community Led Housing: A Cohousing Development Approach. The fees collected are put towards costs for the workshops,  website, outreach, printing, room rentals, etc. and will be credited towards equity membership if the household decides to proceed.

Associate members participate in meetings, but the decisions about the project are made by the cohousing equity members. Associate members have made no obligation to the project and can leave at any time.

If you want to participate in creating the project, the next step is to determine whether you want to become an ‘equity member’. You (and your lawyer if you choose) will have the opportunity to review all the legal agreements, financial information and other documentation associated with the project prior to making a financial commitment. 

If you decide to proceed, you will become a Director and a shareholder of the company that has been formed to develop the project.

In order to secure land and develop the cohousing community, the company will need equity and construction financing.  

Prior to becoming an equity member you will be asked to complete a confidential statement of personal net worth and show that you have the financial capacity to purchase a home in the development at completion. You are only asked to provide this information once you have made the decision that you want to become a Director and shareholder of the company.

The development team has prepared a preliminary budget based on research of the local market conditions. This budget will be updated at various stages in the project.  The aim is to construct a building that costs about the same as market costs for non-cohousing homes in similar locations in the Greater Victoria area, except that in this case, the community will include extensive common amenities to support neighbour connection. 

As the development proceeds, design decisions will be prioritized to meet the budget and the equity members will be fully informed of the consequences of every decision.

In a community led housing project, the future residents are the developer; they are involved in all the decisions relating to the design and development and contribute the equity required to finance the project.

Cohousing homes tend to be higher quality with more environmentally sustainable features than conventional homes. At the completion of the project, the residents not only have a high quality home they have participated in creating, but they also know their neighbours and have extensive common facilities to enjoy a rich and vibrant community life together.