Community driven by principles

The Hawk’s Nest Community is not highly structured. We who live here are independent — needing to work, travel and operate on our own schedules. At the same time, we strongly believe that living with others is psychologically healthy, environmentally responsible and socially enjoyable. As such, we have established a framework of expectations as well as a governance statement for how any who live or visit here interact. While these serve as initial guideposts for the community, as people join they will have a strong stake in how we, as a community, live together.

Governance

As a community, we are collaborative, democratic and rooted in consent - though not consensus (i.e., we don’t require universal agreement).  We aim to ensure that everyone is heard and is comfortable not only with how decisions are made but with the general outcome as well. This typically happens via: 

• One-on-one check-ins when decisions will most impact a person (i.e. the spot they usually park in, an area they frequent often)
• Community discussions at meetings, typically every other month. 

The Hawk's Nest property is privately owned. When it comes to property issues, the final say usually comes from the homeowner. Long-term investments in the property are therefore governed perhaps most closely as a benevolent autocracy.  For example, you may wish to put in a garden, but you need to check before tearing up new lawn. If we build a greenhouse together, we can discuss style, location, what it might look like or how it is used.  While building it, we would decide as a community when it's OK to do so, with the noise of power tools, hammers and the like.  In the end, however, property owners will make the final determination of where it will go. 

Community Expectations

When living here, there is an expectation that you …

1. Buy into the basic vision as outlined on this website.
2. Respect others' boundaries and give people space, based on their expression of their needs.
3. Share in the work of keeping the place up, noting that everyone who lives here long-term has the opportunity to get up to $100 off of their monthly rent by working between 6 and 7 hours above and beyond basic day-to-day housework.
4. Commit to a monthly check-in meeting with all residents across both homes (these may happen less often). 
5. Maintain an agreed-upon level of cleanliness.
6. Communicate needs and issues as they happen, as opposed to letting things fester - while striving to communicate the positives in equal or larger measure!