Intentional Community Reviews

This is meant as a truth and reconcilliation forum for those who have lived at an intentional community, including an ecovillage.  We support the movement, and it needs accountability. Speak truth to power.  "Do no harm and take no shit" the title of a chapter by Elizabeth Lesser. Said another way, "be therefore as wise as serpents and yet as harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16, 21st Century King James Version).

Do you find yourself wondering why it didn't work out? How much of it was the group dysfunction and how much of it was you? Was it just a bad fit or could you have tried harder? These are hard questions to grapple with, but doing so could help you do better the next time.

Committing to an intentional community is like committing to a long-term relationship, times however many are in the group. With a divorce rate around 50%, it's clear most of us weren't raised with the skills to navigate life in community. Starting with as much compatibility as possible is an important step. Here are some sites to search. Newly forming communities may not be well advertised, but some can be found with google searches. 

ic.org

ecovillage.org

Do your research before jumping in. As ecovillages become more popular, the term will likely become increasingly misused. For example, Maya Eco Village in Akumal, Mexico is an excellent vacation rental that has eco-friendly elements and the director does service in the local community, but it isn't an intentional community and doesn't meet the GEN definition of an ecovillage.

It is important to recognize that the unethical practices of a few could taint the general perception of these important communities. Even for those that have many positive reviews, take precautions, especially when they come from long-standing residents. Even the most idealistic groups can have dysfunctional elements.

• Lolia Community in Hawaii is apparently more of a sex cult than the "sustainable community" and ecovillage it advertises itself as. See also the reviews on priceline by Happytraveler108, stuart, and jodi as warnings about unethical money management. If you do visit, use airbnb booking to protect your transactions.
• O.U.R. Ecovillage in British Columbia Canada failed to pay a Brazilian worker in 2020 who asked to remain anonymous. He had agreed to receive $500 per month for his full time work 6 days per week. He was paid for only 2 of the 7 months worked. According to three on-site residents in summer 2020, the gardener was managing 17 CSA boxes at $700 each. The director bought her daughter a $1500 mixer for her baking projects when the old one quit. Apparently the organization had sufficient funds. Be careful of verbal contracts. Leadership is autocratic but presents itself as consensus-based.

You are invited to send your cautionary tale so that others can be warned or prepared. We're looking for egregious violations like those above.  If they had typical problems, give them a review somewhere else, and try to include some positives as well.