What Are The Costs Of Living In A Commune?

Generally speaking, how much does it cost to join a commune? I know every place is different, but generally speaking.
Are there communes I could rock up to with empty pockets, and not be turned away from? Or is there an unspoken rule that when you ask to join a community, you've got to have a good amount of money ready? I'd love to hear people's experiences with this.

 

The communities that I've lived in require you to pay something every month - like $700 per month or $1,200 per month - in addition to pitching in on various kinds of work. Typically this money is used to cover the mortgage, building maintenance, and utilities. More people means per month costs are lowered, fewer people costs go up. If there is a "family business" the revenue from the family business helps pay expenses.

I've heard of other places where you have to "buy in" - buy land or buy a house or build a house.

There are places where you can show up, broke. Not so many anymore. There are [virtually] no places that take everybody, so the places where you can 'show up broke' you need to convince them to let you stay. They'll want to know what skills you have (welding, plumbing, electrician, permaculture, etc etc) and look to see if you are a hard working kind of person who gets along with others.

Many of the more famous communities have waiting lists - there are only a certain number of people they can support at a time. The communities that succeed and endure tend to have requirements that you work a certain number of hour per week at one of the group's businesses, and if you don't contribute you get asked to leave. Check out Twin Oaks, they started out as "everybody is welcome, everybody can share" and evolved into "choose how you are going to specifically contribute each week to our group life"

 

I believe the communes which belong to the "Federation of Egalitarian Communities" have no buy in fees, or financial requirements. Once simply works. Think Twin Oaks, East WInd, Acorn, Dancing Rabbit, etc. etc.

However, many of those have waiting lists, especially since the economy tanked in 2008. Also, I've heard that Twin Oaks takes no one over 50 years of age because it already has too many members over 50. In addition, from what I gather from folks, if you have ever had anything that can be considered a "mental illness", Twin Oaks will reject you. (This includes depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, etc. etc.) They have had enough troubles with the ill, including suicides. Still, it seems like discrimination to me. Lord knows many folks who have lived in these communes for years and are considered "normal" would be considered bonkers or horribly eccentric by folks in the mainstream. Ironic.

 

You would have to find emloyment in the area so you could meet your monthly fees too.

 

The sad truth is that most of these groups don't make that much money, so there are a finite number of people they can support, thus the wait lists.

While I understand your point of view about discrimination towards the mentally ill, most of these groups are not robust enough to take on people with mental illness, and have had bad experiences. They already have enough "colorful characters", I know we do. Since the failure rate for intentional communities is so high, its a pragmatic kind of discrimination - survival of the group is a real, ongoing concern.

 

I agree with all these responses.

Even if you find a community that doesn't require upfront money or monthly dues/rent.. you will still likely need some personal income to meet personal expenses like medical care. Our farm doesn't currently provide enough income to generate proceeds that will cover an individual's personal expense.

Where communes are concerned... think practical before you think romanticized lifestyle.

 

Yes, but on the other hand, if a person lives in a city, alone, they may get food stamps, medicaid, and have a cruel landlord. They may live in a dangerous part of town. They may experience periodic homelessness. Therefore, living in a community that doesn't generate a lot of income from cottage industries, or allows member to work jobs in the nearby towns, would be a vast improvement.

A place such as Twin Oaks MAKES it harder to take on new people by having a retirement policy such as it does.

In conclusion, the truly poor have no where to go but up.

 

Randomly found this. Well, I would also like to live in a community, because I feel lonely. Thank you for your thoughts.