Mariposa Grove Co-Housing is a democratically-governed community in North Oakland including renters and homeowners. Started in 1998 by a founder dedicated to activism, art, and affordable housing; the land is now owned by the Northern California Land Trust (NCLT). NCLT enforces resale price limits such that our units retain their moderate prices rather than increasing with market speculation (prices increase only with the area median income and improvements).
In addition to our individual homes, we share gardens, a chicken coop, and a “common house” with guest rooms, an art room, kids’ play space, an office, a large kitchen, and dining space. Each unit has its own kitchen, but the large kitchen/dining space is used for community meals, parties, social justice movie nights, as well as our meetings.
We value social justice, sustainability, and creativity. We strive to make decisions that work for everyone in our co-housing community and also keep in mind how they affect our greater community. We share resources and responsibilities and support one another to fulfill our personal dreams and live closer to our ideals.
There are currently sixteen adults, one teenager and four children living in our community. We are artists, musicians, students, educators, writers, non-profit workers, gardeners, activists, a massage therapist, a grocery store worker, and a cooperative developer – all of us caring and fun people. We trust and respect each other, communicate with care, and have a lot of fun together!