A directory of belonging
Places where community is built into where you live — not another club to visit, but somewhere the people around you are part of daily life. Monasteries that welcome guests, cohousing, co-ops, ecovillages, seniors villages, and neighbourhoods that actually function. Start where you are.
Compiled with AI, checked by nobody yet. These are starting points, gathered for Oregon — real places as far as we know, but details change. Verify with a phone call before you set your heart or drive across the state.
An intergenerational housing community bringing together adoptive families of foster children and elders who volunteer as honorary grandparents. It welcomes older adults and families ready to build family beyond bloodlines.
Visit website →A community where adults with and without intellectual disabilities share homes and daily life in Southeast Portland. It welcomes live-in assistants seeking work rooted in friendship, dignity, and mutual belonging.
Visit website →Cascadia Commons is an established cohousing community in Southeast Portland, featuring private homes clustered around shared common facilities. Residents actively participate in community governance and social activities.
Visit website →A cohousing community near downtown Corvallis and the Willamette River, built with green design and shared common spaces. It welcomes families, students, and elders drawn to cooperative, sustainable living.
A 30-home urban cohousing community in North Portland designed for connection, with a large common house and shared courtyards. It welcomes households of every kind who value sustainability and everyday neighborliness.
Heartwood Cohousing is a developing cohousing community in Portland, designed to offer private homes alongside extensive shared facilities and a strong neighborhood feel. Residents will actively participate in the community's governance and social life.
Visit website →Trillium Hollow is a vibrant cohousing community located in the Bethany area of Portland. It offers a balance of private homes and extensive shared spaces, fostering strong neighborly connections.
Visit website →The ReBuilding Center, known for its reuse store, also offers community-oriented living spaces for individuals committed to sustainability and social impact. Residents often share common values around environmental stewardship and community service.
Visit website →The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza provides coliving opportunities in a historic building, fostering a sense of community among its residents. It aims to create an affordable and supportive living environment with shared amenities and social spaces.
Visit website →A retrofit ecovillage in northeast Portland where residents transformed an apartment complex and orchard into a thriving cooperative neighborhood. It welcomes people of all ages who want urban life with gardens, chickens, and shared meals.
While primarily known in Missouri, Dancing Rabbit has an affiliated presence and members in Oregon exploring similar sustainable living principles. This branch focuses on local initiatives and community building within the broader ecovillage movement.
Visit website →An ecovillage and education center near Eugene, also known as Meadowsong Ecovillage, teaching permaculture and sustainable living since 1989. It welcomes residents, interns, and students eager to live lightly in community.
Visit website →While primarily an educational organization, the Portland Permaculture Institute also hosts residential living options focused on sustainable practices and community engagement. Residents actively participate in permaculture design, food production, and ecological restoration projects.
Visit website →A consensus-based intentional community founded in 1972 on 280 acres in Oregon's Coast Range. Members share income, farm work, and meals, and warmly welcome visitors who want to experience communal life.
Ananda Laurelwood is a spiritual community and retreat center based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Residents live together, sharing a common spiritual path and engaging in various service activities.
Visit website →A worker-owned intentional community and retreat center in the Cascades, rebuilt with resilience after the 2020 wildfires. Its members steward historic hot springs and welcome thousands of guests each year for rest and renewal.
Visit website →Elderspirit Community is an intentional community for elders, fostering a supportive and engaging environment for its residents. It emphasizes mutual care, shared activities, and a vibrant social life among its members.
Visit website →Hazelnut Grove is a self-governed community of people experiencing homelessness, providing a stable and supportive environment. It operates with a focus on mutual aid and resident empowerment.
Sahale is an intentional community and educational center focused on sustainable living and personal growth. They offer workshops and host residents who are committed to ecological stewardship and communal living.
Visit website →Tryon Farm is a unique intentional community focused on sustainable living and agriculture within an urban setting. Residents share a commitment to ecological practices and community engagement.
Visit website →A residential Zen training monastery set on 23 acres of gardens and forest in the coastal hills. It welcomes lay practitioners for retreats and extended residential practice periods.
Visit website →A Benedictine abbey founded in 1882 on a hilltop overlooking the Willamette Valley, home to monks, a seminary, and a famous library. Guests and retreatants are welcomed year-round to share in the rhythm of monastic prayer.
Visit website →A Trappist monastery in the Willamette Valley wine country where monks have lived, prayed, and worked since 1955. Its guesthouse warmly welcomes men and women of any faith for silent retreats.
Visit website →The Portland Abbey is a contemplative Christian community offering a space for spiritual practice and communal living. It provides a rhythm of prayer, work, and hospitality within an urban context.
Visit website →While primarily a school, the Portland Waldorf School fosters a strong, interconnected community among its families, faculty, and alumni. Many families choose to live in close proximity to the school, creating a supportive neighborhood network.
Visit website →One of the country's larger community land trusts, creating permanently affordable homeownership across the Portland region. It welcomes first-time buyers who want a lasting stake in their neighborhood.
Visit website →While not a single residential community, the Village Building Convergence is an annual event that fosters community-building and neighborhood transformation across Portland. It empowers residents to create vibrant public spaces and stronger local connections.
Visit website →The other path
If your state's list is thin, that's not a dead end; it's the reason this project exists. Three friends on one street is already a community. The guide walks you through the whole path.
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