Becoming a Member

Becoming a member

Contact us to express your interest, and we can let you know when our next Information Session is, led by existing members. These Information Sessions provide an introduction to the cohousing project, to help you decide if you want to become a member. Membership in the New Plymouth Cohousing Community is by individual choice. There is no selection panel choosing members.

If you decide to become a member with the intention of purchasing or renting a home in the Cohousing Neighbourhood, the next step is to attend an orientation workshop, led by existing members. At the workshop, you will start the process of becoming an Associate Member. You will also be assigned a buddy who is an existing member – your buddy is available to meet with you and answer any further questions you may have.

Pre-requisites for Associate Membership
1. Attend a cohousing information session and/or orientation workshop, or other cohousing workshop.
2. Read the book Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities
by McCamant and Durrett (2011).
3. Attend one meeting as an observer.
4. Agree to our Mission, Vision & Values, Communication Agreement
and Holistic Decision Making Process.
5. Agree to have a police check.
6. Discuss the Membership Agreement at the orientation workshop or with your buddy, and sign it.
7. Pay the non-refundable Associate Membership joining fee of $100 per person.

Associate Membership
Associate Membership entitles you to take part in decision-making at full group meetings. You will also receive access to our Google Drive which contains our resource files and records of minutes.

Full Membership
Full membership qualifies you to attend design workshops and have input into the design of the cohousing neighbourhood and homes. It also qualifies you to have a vote on the rare occasion when consensus is not achieved on a matter needing a decision.

Becoming a Full Member involves:
1. Paying a $2,000 fee (this goes towards your house purchase).
2. Signing the Risk-Sharing Agreement and other legal documents
including the Cohousing Financial Agreement.
3. Completing the Financial Questionnaire.

Once you become a Full Member, you may also become a Full Financial Member.

Full Financial Membership
Full Financial Membership is a prerequisite to purchasing a home in the cohousing neighbourhood. Households have the benefit of choosing which home they would like
to live in based on the order in which members become Full Financial Members.

Becoming a Full Financial Member involves:
1. Contributing (or having available and pledging) 30% of the estimated purchase price of your intended home;
2. Signing a Sale & Purchase Agreement for a home in the Cohousing Neighbourhood;
3. Providing evidence that you are able to follow through on your Sale & Purchase Agreement;
4. Ensuring a Will and/or Enduring Power of Attorney and/or a Living Will is in place
(if you are not in a partnership where automatic rights are given to the partner).

If you are not in a financial position to become a Full Financial Member, then you go on the waiting list. Some Full Financial Members will have more than 30% of their home purchase price to pledge to the project, and this will allow the people at the top of the waiting list to be “piggy-backed” into Full Financial Membership.

The order in which people become Full Financial Members, is the order in which people choose which home they buy in the cohousing neighbourhood. The exception to this is that existing associate and full members are already in the home -choosing queue, in the order in which they became/become full members.

Expression of interest

Please contact us to express your interest in becoming a member of the New Plymouth Cohousing Community.