Questions asked by visitors and prospective members, along with some relevant information, if not always "answers." This does not supersede Songaia's formal documents, including our Values Statement, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, House Rules, and others. Consider this an introduction - with specifics elsewhere.

The name "Songaia" means "Song of the Living Earth". It symbolizes the vision and a new way of life in our evolving community.

The term "Songaians" refers to people who are members of the Songaia Homeowner's Association, as well as people who reside on the property but are not members of the Association (renters).

Songaia shares a rich spiritual life which includes rituals, traditions, circles, celebrations and other activities designed to build and maintain our connections to each other, to the Earth and to the greater community. Songaia does not have any particular religious affiliation. We are not financially supported by a religious organization and we are not legally structured as a religious organization. There is no proscribed set of beliefs, but rather a set of values. As a group, we do not follow any specific religion or denomination - nor are our spiritual practices incompatible with most faiths. Members independently practice many different faiths, including Unitarian Universalist, Catholic, Baptist, and Spiritual Humanism.

The Songaia Homeowners Association maintains a Board of Directors that consists of all members. Since major decisions are consensus-based, everyone has the chance to lead the group toward or away from a decision each time that an issue is addressed. Songaia also has a committee named the Navigators which also corresponds to the officers. Navigators typically serve a three-year term, which are staggered so that at least one Navigator is replaced each year. Also, all members are provided with opportunities to lead through a variety of committees, task forces, and spontaneous endeavors/activities..

Songaia uses the consensus process for decision making. This requires that everyone present at a particular meeting must agree to a proposal before it is adopted. Often this involves a fair amount of discussion. Questions are asked, points are clarified, and alternatives or variations may be explored. In the event that consensus cannot be reached, a majority vote can be used to pass a proposal. We have used this process since 1991 and have not needed to employ the majority vote rule.

Committees meet with varying frequency. There are also task forces of shorter duration. We are a volunteer organization that operates by consensus. Small groups of us perform a good deal of background work on some of our more complex issues so that, when these issues are brought before the community for consideration, many of the details have been resolved. People vary greatly in their tolerance and enjoyment of this type of work. Songaia has plenty of individual work as well and is relatively flexible about how each member chooses to contribute.

After a long and mighty celebration, the people of Songaia continued doing what we have done since the beginning: creating community. We continue to work cooperatively on all of the varied facets of our community: day-to-day administration, addressing arising issues, planning and preparing meals, maintaining and enhancing shared spaces, nurturing organic crops, welcoming guests, celebrating, singing, enjoying each other's company, and fostering the wellbeing of the individual and the community.

Member participation is an important part of community life at Songaia. As people's lives and schedules change, their ability to participate changes also. We have and will accommodate people during busy phases of their lives, providing they seek other ways to participate and remain connected to the community. All members attend most general meetings (currently held once a month, approximately 4 hours each) and some committee meetings. Meal preparation, clean up, common area chores and work parties are also part of life at Songaia.

Routine tasks in the common house is managed on a regular chore schedule. Workday taskforces handle some special or seasonal projects. Various community members take on different tasks, e.g. lawn mowing, as required.

Songaia does have an ongoing need for physical work. While not everyone will be able to do strenuous physical labor, it is expected that all members will contribute in some way toward the maintenance and enhancement of the community. If inadequate volunteer labor is available from within the community, the Board of Directors is authorized to hire external labor - something we've not done to date. We will also continue to hire individuals to perform specialized tasks, e.g. replacing our pump, for which community members lack appropriate skills.

Currently, the residential community at Songaia has shared dinners Monday through Thursday and breakfast on Saturday. Residents pay a monthly fee to cover the costs of food and other household items (in 7/05 it costs $85/adult). This cost includes food for common meals and an all-you-can-eat pantry which stocks a wide range of basic items. Everyone takes turns at helping with meal preparation, cooking and cleanup. This pattern has continued sucessfully for more than 14 years.

On Monday nights, friends and visitors are also invited to dine at Songaia.

This is relatively rare, as most meals include many different items. Your options would include skipping the meal that particular evening, prepare yourself something in your own kitchen, and come back to enjoy the conversation and fellowship of the common meal.

Join the meal-planning group and get more involved in future meal preparation to insure there is something on the menu that you will enjoy.The best way to know in advance of membership whether you will like the food at Songaia is to attend some meals. Everyone is welcome to lunch after a general meeting, and Monday nights are "come one, come all" nights. When you come to these meals, you will note that care is taken to provide a nutritionally sound menu that meets the needs of a variety of eaters, including children, meat-eaters, vegetarians, non-dairy folks, and diabetics.

Yes, they are available to residents on a first-come, first-served basis and need to be scheduled around Songaia events, which take priority over private functions. If the events are truly private or for business purposes, space will be available for a discounted fee.

If by "property" you mean on our commonly owned land, then we cannot answer that categorically. It will depend on the type and number of animals you are proposing. Historically, Songaia had a mixed history with community chickens, a goat, and sheep – the problem was a decline in care as people lost interest or moved away. To keep animals outside on common land, you will need to demonstrate a plan for their care. Residents are free to keep animals in the private space within your unit – generally, indoor dogs, cats and other small animals are fine.

Absolutely, provided the Songaia Food Co-op is your sole customer – Songaians have been growing food for the past several years, which has helped to control the cost of our largely organic diet. Actually, at this point we have not directly dealt with questions of using the land for commercial food or plant production. Accordingly, there is no policy or established practice other than production for our food co-op. Any commercial use of common resources for requires an agreement with the Association.

To date, we have provided childcare for each other on ad hoc basis, though it is more formalized for general meetings and circles. At our annual Celebration of the Earth we have sometimes offered a program specifically for children. We have a kids' room within the common house and several outdoor areas where our children play.

A few children have been partially or completed homeschooled for various amounts of time. It fits fairly well, but that is because of the efforts of hte parents of the home-schooled students. This as a personal, family issue rather than one that our community addresses more broadly. Community members have freely offered learning experiences to children and youth, but so far, they have been loosely structured and have been supplementary to other, more formal forms of education.

That depends on your definition of a commune... Songaia is an intentional community, a group of people that have choosen to live together. In the broadest sense, this is sometimes defined as a type of a commune.

The more common definition includes income sharing; where the community acts as a single economic unit - that is, all income and expenses flow through a single purse. Songaia does not have a single, common purse – each family has their own, private finances, so by this definition, Songaia is not a commune.

Like most cohousing groups, Songaia has adopted a mixed economy with families having private income and private expenses, but sharing some costs. Each family privately owns their own home, which includes the rights and responsibilities for the 11 acres and common buildings.

Ongoing costs include all the normal family expenses associated with maintaining a modest-sized home in Bothell. In addition, the Association will assess certain community costs on a monthly basis. These costs cover those expenses that we have agreed to support cooperatively. They include insurance, maintenance, some social activities, utilities, and other costs of continued development of the property (e.g. landscape materials).

Yes, but only if a Songaia member (who owns a unit) wishes to rent or lease space to you. Since the construction was completed, the Songaia organization itself has no longer rented space other than short-term stays in the two Common House guest rooms.

Yes, providing it is a low-impact business in terms of its effect on the community and the environment. This will tend to bias toward office-based businesses or cottage industries that do not require significant traffic to and from your home. As shown on our site plan, there is no drive-up access to individual units. If you wish to make use of common space or land, you will need to make a written proposal to the community. Any form of commercial use of common resources for private gain requires an agreement with the Songaia Homeowners Association.

One becomes a Songaia member by purchasing a home. To date, 7/05, we have only had a single family leave the community since construction was completed in 2000. Accordingly, we have only had one new member family. They checked us out before deciding to buy by sharing some meals with us and talking with different members. After they bought, we sat with them to discuss the many details of life at Songaia and have worked with them to help them integrate into our rich community life.

Membership is determined by purchasing a condominium unit, so it depends on the cost of your unit - which is determined by the seller and market. As of 7/05, one member speculates that the market price probably ranges from around $200K to $300K.

This depends on whether any homes or apartments are available for sale or rent. To date, a single home has been sold and there are two rental units. This website's homepage contains a link to the For Sale/For Rent page which lists any homes  or studio apartments which may be available.

Today (7/05), there are 36 Songaians, consisting of 12 children and 24 adults. The children range in age from 3 months to 13 years and adults range from early thirties to late sixties. There are five boys and 7 girls and 12 men and 12 women.

There's quite a bit of information on this website. There is also a chapter on Songaia in Sustainable Community; Learnings from the Cohousing Model, by Graham Meltzer. In addition to the Songaia case study, Graham's book also feature cross-community analyses which helps illustrate Songaia's unique character. Articles in various Communities Magazine issues have also covered different aspects of Songaia life. We are also quite involved with the Northwest Intentional Communities Association and attend their meetings and gatherings regularly.

If you want to contact us directly, please e-mail info@songaia.com