We are a close-knit group of people living together in a beautiful old home in Eugene, Oregon. Our home is located in a quiet residential neighborhood less than a mile from the University of Oregon. Our street is closed to through traffic and serves as a primary bicycle and pedestrian route.

We have a large lot with an impressive garden that includes fruit trees, berry vines, nut trees, vegetables, flowers, herbs, and lots of evil bindweed (let's just call it an exotic species). Our little eden contains many uncommon fruiting crops such as persimmon, passionfruit, mullberry, pawpaw, and jujube. We also have a sauna, hot tub, and chicken coop.

Our house was built by the Eugene Bible University in 1925 as a home for "wayward girls." It was sold in the 30's and divided into apartments. We bought the property in 1990 and have been converting it back to a home for "wayward adults" ever since. We have eight bedrooms, an art room, office space, a guest room, a large kitchen and pantry, workshop, laundry room, and a dungeon for really bad people.

The mission of Du•má is to actively be of service to others as an inspirational model of living and working together to create social change and community amongst ourselves and with the people of the Eugene area.

For example, to foster a sense of community, we set aside time for activities such as singing, retreats, and neighborhood events. An ecologically responsible lifestyle includes growing vegetables and herbs, recycling, and buying used products when we can. We strive for equality by making decisions by consensus and educating ourselves about internalized sexism. Du•má embraces diverse groups of people by actively seeking members from different racial, religious, gender, age, cultural or class backgrounds and sexual orientations. We provide a supportive atmosphere for personal growth by respecting the different methods individuals use to gain personal insight. Some commonly used tools for personal awareness at Du•má include meditation, co-counseling, astrology, music, and art.

Commonly Asked Questions

We do not currently have any membership openings but we always enjoy meeting new people and getting to know our local community members.

The word Du•má comes from the Calapooyan Indian language and means "home". (To be honest, we're not totally certain of this; hopefully it doesn't mean "rotting deer flesh"). Choosing a local Native American word symbolizes our respect for the people who not long ago lived in ecological balance in the Willamette Valley.

Visitors often remark that we are neat, well organized, and accountable to our values. They also notice the many things we've done to make our home beautiful and enjoy the incredibly scrumptious dinners we share together.

We have gatherings about twice a month to deepen our connections with each other. We've held discussions on simplicity, helped one another get clear on life goals, played games, shared childhood photos, held healing circles, done Tarot readings, etc. We also invite friends and members of the wider community to dance parties, fireside storytelling, and our infamous art-brunches.

The number varies, but typically there are seven or eight adults. Currently there are eight adults and two teenagers.

That depends if you include adults that act like children! Currently we have two certified non-adults who live with us part-time and a baby born in October of 2002.

Each person signs up for responsibilities on a job chart. We redistribute the jobs periodically to accommodate people's changing schedules and desire for learning new skills.

We just stuff it inside (not!) Du•má members are very aware of interpersonal dynamics. We strive to resolve conflicts through direct communication that is both gentle and respectful of one another. Other members often provide support for those involved in the conflict.

Is eating dessert a spiritual practice?

Our focus is on nurturing lasting relationships rather than on providing housing or on the ownership structure.

Yes. To be a member (co-owner) there's an initial investment and if a member leaves they get their investment back in installments over several years. Members also agree to contribute labor towards making improvements on our lovely home. Our ownership structure is rather complex as a result of unique circumstances.

Current occupations of residents include artist, computer programmer, social worker, administrative assistant, etc. We do not have a shared business or income.

One of the eight founding members live at Du•má (the parole board won't release them just yet.) We are still in touch with many of the people who have lived here over the years.

No. Eventually we would like everyone living with us to be a co-owner, but it's a large commitment to be a homeowner, to nurture community, and to hold a collective vision. So we rent some of the rooms on a month-to-month to people who are not interested in membership. While we do not encourage renters to become members, this has happened on occasion.

The amount members pay varies from month to month depending on our overall income and expense. Renters pay a set amount each month which includes food, utilities, and a number of amenities such as the newspaper and toilet paper. This amount for renters is currently $525 a month.

More than anything, we look for people we get along with easily. We look for people who are emotionally stable, have good communication and social skills, have time and energy to create community, plan on living in Eugene for the foreseeable future, and who have a steady source of income.

To be of service is a long-term goal that we have not fully developed. A few small ways we have been in service include hosting foreign students and opening our home to promote Naka-Ima (a personal growth workshop offered at Lost Valley Educational Center.)

We encourage you to get to know us in person. We have a membership process for folks who are interested in living with us; however, currently we do not have any openings for members. Some people share dinner with us in exchange for a small contribution of money and help with chores.

Visitors are welcome to stay on a night-by-night basis for up to three days. Please contact us at least one week in advance to make arrangements.