The Community House on Ropes Street is one that began in May of 2010 and is now coming to its end, one year later. The community rents all three floors of a townhouse apartment building and is mostly made up of young adults in their twenties. It's original intention was to not only be present in each other's lives in an honest and open way, but also to be present in their neighborhood.
The following responses are of current members of the Community House:
1. What is community?
The following responses are of current members of the Community House:
1. What is community?
a. "People having an active role in each other lives and taking an interest in the well being of others."
b. "Something that happens with people when the sum is greater than its parts."
c. "Synergy"
2. What makes this community intentional and what it the value of intentionality?
a. "Our community is at the end of its life cycle, but we get together once a week. We have “house times” where we see how everyone is, we go over house business, and we’ve done events, yard cleanup. We used to assign one-on-ones. We have goals of honesty.
Intentionality allows a community to survive and thrive. I’ve learned a lot here. Fruits of intentionality and lack of intentionality can cause problems. Personal issues, resentment can arise. An example of this is when people were moving in; there was tension about certain people. There was a meeting and decisions were made, but tensions remained. I met one on one with people, and tension was lost."
b. "The value is that you have a common goal, even though it’s not necessarily defined. This community isn’t very intentional anymore. After we ceased to have a common goal, people moved out."
c. "I haven’t lived in here long enough to see its original intention played out, what I see it that is it sometimes intentional in that we have house time once in a while."
3. What is the purpose of this community?
a. "It’s changed, it used to be to have genuine relationships with the house and the community. Now it is more internal. Generally, we all have roles whether we like it or not. Community is that but it is taking an interest. The purpose is to have just or loving or positive relationships with people in your world. Everyone’s is connected. Community is accepting that reality and making it work for good."
b. "In general it is something to cultivate when people can attain more together than alone. This community doesn’t really have one anymore. The business of our lives has trumped our intentions. Also, people disagree on our mission, which is hard to sustain."
c. "It’s hard to see its purpose when we have such busy lives."
4. What have been your experiences with community before becoming a member of this one? Did they contribute to your desire to join this community? What attracted you to living in this community?
a. "My Church growing up, my family was involved, it was a small church and they became my extended family. Also my freshman dorm, we bonded and were very close despite having very different personalities. The Jubilee House, it had an outward focus. It existed not for its own. Yes, they contributed.
I lived with a couple of guys after graduation but I wasn’t responsible to anyone or for anyone. I didn’t like that. I wanted to be more connected."
b. "The Oregon extension is like a romantic whirlwind experience and this house has been more like a marriage; it has its ups and downs, and different trials."
c. "The Oregon extension; it’s the reason I came here. I didn’t want to leave college and be on my own."
5. How does one maintain their sense of individuality while living in a community? Is this necessary?
a. "It is necessary, yes. A community has to respect incivility. It has to be an open environment. A community works best with a particular goal. The best way to experience individuality is to use personality, self, to work on a goal. Community is a place to really foster individuality; to see how you can bring different things to the table."
b. "It’s not hard for Americans. Maybe we need to give up our individuality a little. Maybe we need to move away from individualism."
c. "Its important to maintain, yes; by spending time needed apart from the community."
6. Is it difficult to be a close-knit community while not excluding those who are not members? How does your community handle this tension?
a. "At house meetings, others are welcome. It’s nice to show off our community, its something we’re proud of. We had someone who needed a place to stay for a couple months but weren’t interested in intentionality. We did end up asking them to leave."
b. "There is an exclusive process for people moving in, they need to write an essay on why they want to join. Beside that, people feel comfortable to visit."
c. "I think people feel very comfortable around us."
7. What does your community do to strengthen each other as a group and individually?
a. "The most formal way is the one-on-ones, but most is informal. We have a goal of honesty and confrontation."
b. "We used to meet on Sundays and still sometimes do, we’ve had a lot of dinners together, and we also used to do one-on-ones."
c. "Agreed."
8. Can authentic communities exist without being “intentional communities”?
a. "Yes, but it takes work. You can have an apartment that is but doesn’t go in with those exact words."
b. "I used to think so. Something has to unite you. We all have parts of us that are selfish. In order to transcend our selfishness, we need to have something pulling us together."
c. "For sure, all it means is having a relationship."
9. How has your definition of community changed since becoming a member of this community?
a. "My definition of it hasn’t, but my understanding of reality of community has been deepened with experience."
b. "Not my definition, but I’ve become less idealistic. It was a lot harder but it was still worth it."
c. "No."
*Interviews of community members b and c were interviewed collectively; they often answered together and in agreement