Becoming a member of the Los Angeles Eco-Village and potentially living here involves participating in a process that intends to develop relationships between you and the community. We are looking for people who want to live a higher quality of life with a low impact on the environment and who are willing to collaborate wholeheartedly in our strategies for making it happen. We live in community, practice consensus based decision making, are interested in technologies and techniques that help us reduce our ecological footprint and live well in a large urban center.
The process of becoming a member generally takes at least 4 to 6 months. During that time you would engage in formal and informal dialogues with members of the community, attend some of our regular gatherings (including meetings, dinners, and work parties) and get acquainted with LA Eco-Village culture which is infused with bicycles, gardening, permaculture, facilitation skills and a whole lot of diverse interesting people from all walks of life, among other things.
Once you’ve expressed interest and filled out a questionaire, a member of our community will be assigned as your liaison and she or he will shepherd you through the membership process. Your liaison would be available to answer your questions, keep you informed about events, introduce you to other members of the community and even help you arrange gatherings like game nights or potlucks where people can get to know you. Engaging in the process doesn’t guarantee that you will be accepted as a member or that you will find the Eco-Village to be a good match for you.
We prefer folks who are interested in making a long-term commitment to living here and growing the LA Eco-Village project. We are also open to people who might only be around for 12 months to a couple of years, as long as you participate with good energy while you’re here.
Where to start?
If you haven’t done so yet, you are welcome to take one of our Tours of the L.A. Eco-Village. Get familiar with our websites (http://urbansoil.net and http://www.laecovillage.org). And read this article about living in community: Reality of Community.
Who do I talk to?
If you are interested in becoming a member/resident, and you’re ready to take the next step or have any further questions, send an email to: membership@urbansoil.net . This is the email address of our Bienvenidos Committee -Bienvenidos means “those who are welcome” in Spanish-, they are the group of people in charge of shepherding our Membership Process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What about my partner?
Membership at the LA Eco-Village is individual. Your partner can apply for membership at the same time. If you plan to live in the same household, please let us know.
What about my children?
We welcome children, and want to be flexible in welcoming them and their families into LA Eco-Village. If you have children who will live with you at the LA Eco-Village, their character and any special needs will be taken into account when we consider your membership. If your children are old enough and want to go through the membership process, they can, but generally it’s easier to just bring them in as members in the course of the parent’s or parents’ process.
What about my dog or cat?
Pets discussions here have sometimes been contentious. It’s important that you review and be willing to abide by the community’s pet policies. Although it is possible to have exclusively indoor cats at the eco-village we would only accept them on a case by case basis. We don’t currently accept new dogs living on the premises.
Can I live at the LA Eco-Village while my membership is being accepted?
Generally, no. We strongly encourage you to have a stable residency outside of the eco-village while you are in process, preferably in Los Angeles.