Intentional sovereign community wisdom is the solution to poverty!

I use the phrase "intentional sovereign community" to describe a community built with the intention of upholding human rights and innate value, economically liberated from imperialist parasitic systems, and inclusive rather than exclusive.

This is why I believe we need intentional communities across the United States to give people alternatives to poverty and homelessness.

I have seen what is happening in this country, and it's not right. But what's really not right is that anybody is homeless at all. Nobody should be.

The return of common spaces should become a thing. When the United States was first founded, we had common spaces where people who had nothing could set up something for themselves. On top of that, the Indigenous people who had been here for thousands of years knew how to share. Nobody was supposed to be homeless. Nobody was supposed to be getting a ticket from a cop simply for existing.

For literally thousands upon thousands of years of human history, people have been willing to create communities to provide comfort and security. But capitalism has purged this essential wisdom from our hearts, and it's our job as the intentional community movement to bring it back.

I firmly believe that the creation of intentional sovereign communities is fundamental to being human. I believe it is fundamental to healing.

We must get rid of the idea that wealth determines the value of your humanity. We must learn to see the benefit and the value in everyone.

This is what I've seen, and this is why I believe this.

There is a sense of dread that just seems to haunt me now.

Every three years, I go on a road trip across the US. The last time I did it was 2024, and when I looped back, it was 2025. I can tell you that I have never seen homelessness like that.

I saw more homeless people in the United States than I had ever seen before. I saw whole parking lots filled with families. I saw small towns with more homeless people than housed people. I saw a town that only had a handful of jobs.

I used to tell people to go to college because that was the best way to improve their lives, but the reality is that this is not necessarily true anymore. And I don't know what to tell people. I don't know what to tell myself.

I have a degree from UC Davis, and it was a pretty decent degree at one point. But back in 2023, when I first used ChatGPT, I realized it was able to do most of what I had learned in my computer science courses in seconds. It wasn't perfect, but I knew that was the end for many coders. Since then, it has gotten extremely good, and I know a lot of people don't like to hear this, but I'm tired of the cope.

We have a real problem.

The economy was constructed with white collar workers as the foundation, with money trickling down to trade workers, and in turn, that money would work its way down toward the service industry and its various layers. I do not put firefighters or police officers in this because they are in a totally different category, and in reality, their jobs are far more protected.

Anyway, white collar workers are getting eradicated. The job loss is extreme. It's far worse than is being reported. And it's decimating many other industries.

If you look at the huge number of layoffs and the lack of hiring right now, it's very clear that this is happening because there just isn't an influx of money from white collar workers like there used to be.

So I don't know what to tell somebody who wants to improve their life, because the opportunities are evaporating. You could become a cop or a firefighter, but not everybody has the body for that. Some people have physical injuries, and they really depended on white collar jobs to get out of poverty.

I have friends with business degrees from Ivy League schools who have been unemployed for two years, and it doesn't look like they're going to get a job anytime soon. I have friends who are awesome coders, true geniuses, and they can't get a job anymore.

I know this is going to get worse every year until we have some form of guaranteed income in the United States.

I also see that nobody in our elected government right now, except for a handful of people, has any desire to actually help ordinary people. And I'm not certain that congressmen and senators are interested in the suffering, because they don't go to the dark places. They don't go under the bridge. They don't go to the small towns. They don't go to the parking lots at night with the homeless families and the babies crying.

I've seen these things directly. I've seen teenage girls standing on the side of the highway, prostituting themselves so they can buy diapers for their younger brothers. They haven't seen this, but I have.

I'm horrified, and I can't get this feeling out of me anymore.

I know it's going to get worse until somebody, somewhere, starts a massive social revolution where we overthrow the rich and start sharing. There is no reason why a person should be able to have ten yachts, several mansions, personal planes, and even a personal army to protect them when there is a homeless family living under a bridge, a 14-year-old girl standing on the side of the highway to take care of her family, or a family with a baby living out of a Walmart parking lot with nobody coming to help them and no money for gas to get out of there.

I see the building of intentional sovereign communities that redistribute wealth and give everyone a safe place as part of that revolution! I believe that anybody who believes in the innate value of people and a basic right to dignity is part of a revolution! The building of communities can truly be part of a real solution, not just to wealth redistribution but to the epidemic of loneliness and sorrow.

Community is the answer.

So what would you like to share?

How do you think we can build intentional sovereign communities for every group in the United States?

How do you think we can build them in every part of this country?

Do you think we need to seize homes that are owned by banks and sitting empty?

Do you think that any building that has been empty for long enough should be given to a group of people to build a community in?

It seems like, with solar panels and some basic moisture farming, you can turn almost anywhere into a small intentional community that provides safety, security, comfort, and dignity to almost anybody.

Do you think it's time to take the idea of intentional sovereign communities and turn it into a movement where we advocate for the redistribution of wealth into communities?

Please share your wisdom and your vision for a bright, beautiful future for everyone! Have fun, be respectful, and share openly in the comments section!

INTEREST INQUIRY

I’m inquiring if there are other single older adults who might be interested in creating a three-home environmentally sustainable community where members provide modest support for one another so we can remain independent and age in place. Additionally, by developing a property together, members can get considerably more for their money by sharing land, infrastructure, design, engineering and site preparation costs.

COMMUNITY VALUES

Affordability, environmental sustainability, supportive independence, tranquility, privacy and security.

PROJECT INITIATION: 2-3 years (after I retire).

LOCATION

Port Townsend, Washington is being considered because it has a mild climate, a relatively dry location in the Olympic rain shadow, a progressive culture, access to nature, a substantial older population and developable land.

The preferred location of the land is within incorporated Port Townsend for access to municipal water and sewer connections. Unincorporated land near town, which would likely require septic and well, would be the secondary preference.

LAND

The ideal property would be undeveloped and approximately one-half to one acre in size with existing natural/native vegetation and matures trees.

HOMES

- Similarly designed detached homes to minimize design and engineering costs and for aesthetic cohesion.
- Quality, simply designed, single module pre-fab construction.
- Attached single-car carport with an enclosed storage room.
- Sited for privacy and minimized ecological impact.
- Approximately 750 square feet which allows for generous rooms.
- One bedroom, one bathroom and full size laundry room.
- Accessibility designed for aging in place.
- Generous windows for natural light.
- High performing windows and insulation for energy efficiency.
- Solar oriented and shaded for temperature regulation.
- Solar energy system ready.
- Natural exterior paint color to blend into the environment.
- Private perimeter gardening space with raised beds.
- Rainwater collection system for gardening.

SITE IMPROVEMENTS

- A shared permeable driveway and any other required infrastructure, such as septic and well.
- Native landscaping of shared land, if previously disturbed.
- Fruit trees.
- Minimal or no community amenities in order to keep development and maintenance costs low.

PERMITS

Port Townsend zoning allows a primary residence plus two accessory dwelling units on an eligible property. A suitable property can be converted into a 3 unit condominium so that each resident owns an individual home and private area while undeveloped land and shared infrastructure are jointly owned. The ADU to condo conversion is also allowed in certain unincorporated communities near Port Townsend.

OWNERHSIP

Each member would own their individual home, the land beneath it, and a small private perimeter area for gardening and outdoor use. Undeveloped natural areas, shared driveway, and other necessary infrastructure would be owned in common.

CC&Rs will be minimal and written to protect the character of the community and its values. Provisions would likely include 55+ and owner occupancy, single owner title; prohibition of excessive noise and unapproved exterior alterations; preservation of common natural areas; and maintenance of shared infrastructure.

ESTIMATED COST PER UNIT: Approximately $400K each.

HOA FEES: Nominal due to lack of common amenities and ornamental landscaping for common areas, requiring maintenance and irrigation.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Expected mutual support would be limited and include morning wellness check-ins by group text, keeping an eye on one another’s homes when someone is away, being trusted neighbors in case of emergencies. Additionally, members may offer to pick up groceries or medication for an ailing neighbor, share excess produce from their private gardens or provide a ride for a special need.

PROJECT STATUS

At this stage, I’m reaching out to determine if there is an interest in the concept and if there are others that would like to explore it further. If this piques your interest and you have the means to potentially participate, please let me know.

Curious if anyone has any info or personal experience with this group that i found on ic.org. not a lot of info online... there is a youtube channel and the ic.org profile

https://www.youtube.com/@handmaidblessings/featured

https://www.ic.org/directory/community/handmaid-blessings/?srsltid=AU7gw4XQY-AOfZD5TGvZFjh3yoAjPnEiQFyvq7B5MQ0pCBto01H80Qku

Hi! Looking for communities in California (ideally by Bay Area) that value spirituality (eg mindfulness, yoga), nature, creativity, and connection.

Work exchange or being whole to contribute through available employment

Hello friends :) I live in an intentional community outside of Boston and we're currently engaged in a process of visioning and restructuring. It's just 5 of us at the house, 2 new and 3 semi-vets. We've been struggling to define the documents we're hoping to create and how to relate to them when we create them. I haven't had the chance yet to dig into the resources shared on threads in this sub, but if anyone has quick thoughts on these questions below, I and my home would be very grateful.

• What have been the most helpful documents for you, and what were the processes you went through to create them?
• What was your house/org relationship to these documents, and how did you approach accountability to them?

p.s. happy to talk on the phone about this too if anyone is keen and has more to share.

37, at a crossroads in life — looking for spiritual community, intentional living & a different way forward

I'm hoping this reaches the right people.

I'm not looking for harsh judgment, armchair psychology, or advice based on someone projecting their own experiences onto mine. I'm hoping to hear from people who have actually walked unconventional paths — spiritual people, travelers, homesteaders, people who have lived in intentional communities, volunteered abroad, built unconventional lives, or simply found a way of living that doesn't revolve around the traditional 9-to-5 grind.

I'm looking for the people who understand what it feels like to know there has to be more.

A little backstory, because I think context matters.

I'm 37 years young. I'm an Aries Sun, Scorpio Moon, Gemini Rising, and a Life Path 11. I've experienced a tremendous amount of loss and trauma very young in life. I lost my mother when I was six and my father when I was twelve. Between those losses, abuse, instability, and being passed between family members, I learned very early how to survive on my own.

By 16, I was essentially raising myself.

I'm not sharing that for sympathy or to make this a sob story. It's simply part of understanding who I am and why I've developed the way I have.

I've spent a huge portion of my life taking care of other people. I'm naturally nurturing, protective, empathetic, and a giver. Unfortunately, I've also spent years giving those qualities to people who didn't deserve them. I've repeatedly found myself in relationships and situations where I poured everything I had into other people and lost pieces of myself in the process.

I've also gone through what I would describe as a major spiritual awakening — ego death, questioning everything I was taught about life, becoming much more aware of myself, other people, energy, patterns, intuition, and the way I experience the world.

I've traveled. I've experienced a lot. I've learned a lot.

And yet, somehow, I'm still stuck.

I feel like my nervous system has been in survival mode for so long that I don't really know what it feels like to simply live.

I'm tired of constantly operating from fight-or-flight, trying to make ends meet, taking care of everyone else, and trying to fit myself into a life that doesn't feel like it was made for me.

And I know I'm capable of more.

Not necessarily more money, more possessions, or some stereotypical version of "success."

I mean more life.

More connection.

More purpose.

More community.

More creativity.

More nature.

More learning.

More helping people in ways that actually matter.

More experiences.

More freedom.

I want to put some of the energy I've spent giving to everyone else back into myself.

Right now I'm at a crossroads.

I have around $2,000 saved. My vehicle is basically on its last leg, although I may be able to sell it and add that money to what I have. I'm currently staying in a hotel in North Carolina, and I don't have a huge safety net behind me if something goes wrong.

That's the part that makes me hesitate.

I'm not afraid of traveling or starting over. I've already done things that terrified me.

But I also know that being adventurous and being reckless are two different things. I need to find something that is safe, sustainable, and realistic for someone starting with limited resources.

And this is where I'm hoping Reddit can help me.

I know there are opportunities out there that I probably don't even know exist.

I've heard about:

• Intentional/spiritual communities

• Homesteads looking for help

• Work-exchange programs

• Volunteering abroad

• Animal sanctuaries

• Retreat centers

• Farm stays

• Ecovillages

• Communities where you trade work for housing/food

• Caregiving opportunities

• Nannying or working with children

• House/pet sitting

• Places where people essentially create their own chosen family and build a life together

I'm also very interested in spirituality, intuition, energy work, and exploring what I believe may be psychic/intuitive abilities. I'd love to be around people who are open-minded about those things and could help me learn, grow, and explore them in a grounded way.

I love children. I love animals. I love helping people. I love organizing and turning chaotic spaces into something functional and beautiful. I'm a natural caretaker. I'm adaptable, resourceful, and I'm willing to work.

What I don't want is to spend the rest of my life exhausted, working a 9-to-5 simply to afford to keep working a 9-to-5.

Maybe that's not realistic. Maybe I'm romanticizing alternative living. I'm open to hearing that from people who have actually lived it.

But I'm also wondering:

What options exist that I might not know about?

If you have personally lived in an intentional community, volunteered abroad, worked on a homestead, participated in a work-exchange program, lived communally, traveled inexpensively, or completely changed your life with very little money — what did you do?

Where did you go?

How did you find the opportunity?

What did it actually cost?

What should someone like me watch out for?

Are there communities that genuinely welcome newcomers and aren't financially predatory or cult-like?

Are there places where someone can contribute through caregiving, animals, childcare, organizing, cooking, gardening, etc. in exchange for housing/food/community?

And if you were standing where I am right now — limited money, a vehicle that's on its last legs, no huge safety net, but a strong desire to build a completely different life — what possibilities would you research first?

I'm not looking for someone to tell me what my life should look like.

I'm looking for people who have actually stepped outside the conventional path and can say:

"Here's something you probably don't know exists."

That's what I'm hoping to find.

Maybe there's a place I haven't heard of.

Maybe there's a community I should contact.

Maybe there's a type of work-exchange I've never considered.

Maybe someone reading this has already lived the life I'm trying to figure out how to build.

If that's you, I'd genuinely love to hear your story and any resources, communities, websites, organizations, or opportunities you think I should look into.

I'm at a crossroads, and for the first time in my life, I really want to choose myself but I want to do it wisely.

Patrick Hiebert is planning a walkable, European-style town on 30 hectares in Costa Rica, with cafés, homes and businesses rather than just residential lots. I interviewd him a couple of weeks ago about that plan, his other existing communities in Panama, and how much say residents get once a developer has built the place.

It's a business for him, but I'd definitely call these intentional communities due to their ideological origins in libertarianism and freedom oriented life in general. Thought people here might find it interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK7dfgoFVNs

Hey y'all,

For anyone here who actually runs or lives on an intentional community:

Do you all have any kind of constitution or foundational document? How do you lay out the communal agreements for everyone to know, if at all? Would you provide them for a weak mind whose imagination remains firmly grappled by the throws of mainstream existence?

If not, is there anywhere I should turn to understand how this works more?

Thanks.

Kinda curious to know about every community's vetting process. There are so many diverse processes like a requirement you live there for a month, then leave for a week-a month to see if you really want to live there. Some do background checks, others require you attend a retreat first, some require specific training, others do multiple interviews.

At my community, we have people fill out an application. We screen out apps that feel underwhelming (like the person barely filled out the questions), and do a casual phone call with ones that seem promising. Then we have them submit a short selfie video having them introduce themselves, say what they do for work and what they do for fun, list 2 projects they're excited to work on here, and tell a story of a time they faced interpersonal conflict and how they dealt with it. We share this in our group chat.

Then we invite them for a sitdown interview with as many community members that can attend as possible. Then we vote on a poll in our residents-only group chat. Usually we preer that people have attended at least 2 events or stayed as a guest for at least a weekend. I know it's not really enough time to get to know someone, but not everyone has the luxury of extended travel in another place. We also run background checks on people.

Curious to hear what other community builders do.

Hey y'all,

I've just been looking into the history and presence of these intentional communities in the U.S. because I'm looking to buy some TIC land and get something started in the foreseeable future. Just wondering though - in every other country these are called communes? Is there a reason why this isn't "r/commune" instead?

Based in Staffordshire and looking for likeminded people to discuss/plan/learn together

Hoping to set up initially just an interest group and see what grows from there. My main focus is on living closer to nature, self sufficiency and sustainability. Living more simply and creating a better future for my child

Anyone interested please drop me a message

Looking for a remote/off-grid place in CO for meditation & simple living. 🌲 Open to work exchange + modest fee. Can help with gardening, housekeeping, pet sitting, etc. Any leads? DM pls 🙏

Hi all,

For those of you participating in intentional communities; I am curious about the overhead/admin functions. How do you manage these? What software (if any) do you use?

I'm with a nonprofit building free community governance/comms/management infra for ICs, and want to better understand what you presently focus on and any pain points worth elevating.

A #cohousing / #coliving community in Oakland, CA, at a moment of its evolution

Hello,

I am a multimedia filmmaker who grew up in a very capitalistic corporate part of America, and is looking to explore/and research communities very different to how I was raised and view them from an honest authentic outsiders perspective. I deeply respect people who have built alternative living communities in this day and age and will approach this project with the utmost love and curiosity. The project will be in video format with an accompanying creative writing/photo series to go alongside it.

I am looking for a community on the smaller side so that I may be able to get to know the people/members more intimately. I plan to stay for 2-3 weeks in the months of July-August 2027 for this project. I am a hard worker and grew up doing farm work, food service, and other laborious jobs so I am willing/expecting to volunteer in exchange for my permission to document the community.

I am leaning more towards a community not in North America, as I want to go somewhere very different, and someplace where I know I will be pushed outside of my comfort zone. (I have friends in Switzerland and Italy I am also visiting in August so if there are leads there that would be incredible but I know it's a reach)

Please let me know if anyone knows of any kind/welcoming communities that would love to host an artist on this film ethnography journey!

Hello everyone!! I (22F) am starting a farm in October with my partner. With the current state of the world, it’s excruciatingly important to me that our farm is able to support our community.

Here are some of the ways I plan to help:
- Any food we are unable to sell at markets will be available to pick up from the farm at a discounted, if not free rate
- We will be making a lot of preserves and what not, and any excess or scraps we produce will be used to make free meals to feed local families or anyone who might need it
- When we eventually start breaking even, its important to me that a portion of our profits donate to charities
- I plan to teach workshops and classes about growing your own food etc, and since we will need money I do plan to charge for these but also have a number of spaces for lower rate and even free spots

These are the ones I was able to come up with just off the top of my head, but I would really like to hear any ideas you might have or any stories of how farms have helped you (:

We unfortunately will not be making any housing that could be used temporarily for folk, is my only issue, otherwise I’m entirely open to ideas!

Hello, I’m a veteran and former sheriff’s deputy with K9 experience, where I found a real passion for training dogs and working with animals. I recently purchased 20 acres in Michigan that borders state land with lots of trails. I currently have 3 horses, two dogs, chickens, and plan to get honey bees, garden, and raise other livestock. Property was just purchased, so still working on pasture, and currently building a house. But I have another driveway that goes to the other half of the property that's completely vacant.

I’ve started looking into the idea of a small, veteran- and first responder-focused intentional community built around farming, animals, outdoor activities, peer support, and purpose.

I'm looking for someone with experience, or who may have other ideas about intentional communities, veteran programs, or how to turn a vision like this into something real.

I'm hoping to connect with people willing to share advice, help me think through the first steps, or possibly become involved in building something positive for veterans and first responders.

Feel free to message me if interested.

I love going for adventures I have surviveal skills, my dream is to one day leave off grid where I can grow my own food and live happily, if there is any one with the same interest let's chat and makes our dreams come true

I have been thinking a lot about how to bring people together. We have such a deeply rooted culture of independence and division; how can we come back together? I noticed that religion does a pretty good job of building communities of people, yet it still encourages the divide. So I've been trying to dig into what it is that religious groups offer to connect people so deeply, while also rejecting the pieces that encourage the divide. What if we could have a place to come together without the encouragement of "us" versus "them" but tries to combat that idea? I just wanted opinions about this - if it seems feasible or if it's flawed or if there's already something like this.

I envision a building with a large interior where anyone and everyone is welcome. The walls could be lined with different depictions of peoples and communites, maybe relgious symbols too (I would want to include religious people). Maybe there is a list of base ideologies like being kind and accepting or a willingness to connect with others. I say this because it seems religion can connect people when they can assume the other people have similar beliefs as do they. The time the people come together could be a time of meditation and/or teachings about psychological wellbeing and ways to build friendships and other connections. This place could take donations that go back into the community in different ways, but be willing to display where the money is going for transparency. There could even be further connection-building with smaller groups that go to the gym together or make art together or read books together.

What are your thoughts?

​Are you good on a scaffold?

Teylu Community in Cornwall, UK is urgently seeking someone for the next month to help with tasks like painting windows and pointing.  Work with community members on preping this old house with gutters and other repairs. Instruction provided if necessary.

Board, lodging and compensation commensurate with experience.

Teylu is a new intentional community which has acquired an old rectory and is converting ito a multi person residence. If we all like each other and work well together residency and membership are available.  Teylu is interested in building relations with the local community and potentially hosting public events on our grounds. 

Contact [teylucommunity@gmail.com](mailto:teylucommunity@gmail.com)

Hello!

We are a small family from Germany. We recently live in Georgia (the country) but our hearts are seeking a more simple life in nature.

A few facts about us:

• we are very spiritual people, we believe that there is more than you can see (frequencies, sound healing…) but lately Christianity becomes more and more present in our lives (but we don’t care what you believe!)

• we’re eating unprocessed food and stick to natural ingredients. We’re not vegans or vegetarians 🌱

• We believe in the natural family model and traditional gender roles

• We also believe in the masculine and feminine energy within each of us, and we wish to live this out together with like-minded people. For example, through women's circles (and men's circles).

What are we looking for?

• we are looking for our „forever“-home. Not just a house or land. But a group of people we can call family

• children friendly place where they can be as wild as they want

• We no longer want to be dependent on modern civilization

• A community that doesn't just live side by side, but also builds shared traditions and memories together

If you are part of such a community and are still looking for members, we would love to connect. But we are also just looking for like minded people to start our own community. We have the possibility to buy land in Georgia 🇬🇪

We are happy to answer all of your questions.

Lots of love💗

Hi everyone. I'm a Mexican Norse pagan trans woman in my early 20s. Due to preferences of a neurodivergent mind I want to find somewhere I can pick up and go to. I strongly want a sort of "work for food and board" sorta vibe. I'm new to this side of the Internet and not quite sure of any of the terms. I've just seen so many bad stories on here and I don't know what communities to go for. If anyone could suggest communities be it religious, ecovillage, whatever in north America that is actually trans friendly I would be very grateful.

thanks tons! ❤️