Village Hill Cohousing aspires to be a diverse, multi-generational community, committed to compassionate living through respect, kindness, and generosity. We strive to create an ecologically-sustainable neighborhood of fun and joy where we support each other. We commit to responsible self-management for the long-term wellbeing of the community.
The following are the values we agree to use as the basis for our community interactions and collective decision-making.
Foster Community & Connection through…
- Empathetic communication – direct, effective, respectful, passionate, thoughtful
- Practicing curiosity rather than judgment
- Committing to conflict resolution and practicing forgiveness
- Practicing generosity
- Being willing to learn, change, and grow with feedback
- Social connections that respect the balance between individual connection, community engagement, and privacy
- Valuing interdependence
- Sharing meals and other activities
- Sharing knowledge and practicing mutual assistance
- Engaging with our Village Hill neighborhood, Northampton community, and beyond
- Inclusivity and belonging – understanding our community holds a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and abilities.
- Valuing difference and the richness it brings
- Actively seeking ways for everyone to contribute as they can and participate meaningfully in the life and work of the community
Encourage Ecological Sustainability through…
- Using recyclable, recycled, and secondhand materials, as feasible
- Striving to be good stewards of the land and supporting local ecosystems
- Supporting growth of organic foods
- Using non-toxic products & practices, where possible
- Continuing to learn about how our ecosystems work and how we affect them
- Making long-term investments in sustainable energy practices and infrastructure
Responsibly self-manage the community through…
- Prudent and long-term financial planning, with the needs of current members and future generations in mind.
- Using values-based budgeting to plan our spending to best align with what we care about
- Aiming to make individual financial obligations fair and viable
- Self-Governance grounded in sociocracy, including all voices to reach agreements that are “safe enough to try, good enough for now”
- Demonstrating respect in the face of conflict
- Being flexible in the implementation of our agreements and aiming to prioritize people over rules
- Shared Community Work, honoring our individual commitments of contributing our time, talents and effort to keep VHC functioning well