CoHo Ecovillage: Southtown’s Hidden Community
And a lesser-known, more affordable co-op...
In Southtown, near the Willamette Park, sits one of the city’s most unusual and community-focused neighborhoods, the CoHo Ecovillage.
Part neighborhood, part social experiment, and part sustainability project, CoHo has operated in Southtown for nearly two decades. The village sits a few miles east of the highway, tucked into a quiet neighborhood. The intentional “cohousing” community includes 34 households spread across 6.8 acres and is designed around the idea that neighbors should actually know, interact with, and help each other.
(photo: Coho EcoVillage)
“The vision of our village is to encourage interactions between people and enrich our lives with the pleasure of cooperation and friendship.”
The community emphasizes environmental sustainability, shared resources, multigenerational living, and consensus-based decision making. Homes at CoHo are clustered around shared paths and common spaces. Parking is kept on the outer edges of the property, leaving the interior focused on gardens, gathering spaces, and pedestrian movement.
Residents share amenities including a large common house, community kitchen, guest room, workshop, bike barn, gardens, laundry facilities, and even a hot tub. The homes are privately held properties, but intentionally share parts of daily life through community meals, collaborative projects, celebrations, and governance. According to CoHo’s FAQ and community materials, residents regularly participate in optional shared dinners and collective maintenance of the property.
The project was completed in 2007 after years of planning and development. Community writings describe the process as long and difficult, but the results created a neighborhood intentionally designed around interaction rather than isolation.
(photo: Coho EcoVillage)
CoHo’s mission and values statement place an emphasis on environmental responsibility. The community promotes recycling, reuse, shared tools and equipment, lower-impact living, and sustainable building practices.
Of course, this is not for everyone. Some people value privacy, and the benefits provided by a housing development like CoHo sometimes come with costs.
A new unit is currently listed for sale, the available townhouse is a 1,244-square-foot, 3-bed, 2-bath home. It includes radiant floor heating, cork flooring, heat recovery ventilation, insulated windows, and multiple outdoor living areas. The asking price is listed at $480,000 with HOA dues of $474 per month.
https://www.cohoecovillage.org/openings/for-sale-unit-161/
As of March 31st, the median home sales price in Corvallis was reported at $589,000. So while not cheap by any means (and a $474/month HOA fee), the property is almost a 100k less than what the average buyer would pay.
CoHo is not the only game in town if you are looking for a community-style way of living. Co-ops are becoming more and more popular, and Colorado Lake co-op offers a much more affordable option.
Not a lot of people know about Colorado Lake Co-op. This private neighborhood sits about 4 miles east of town off Highway 34, but is still within the Corvallis city limits. The member-owned cooperative includes 45 units, with many homes sitting directly along Colorado Lake. Residents collectively own the land itself and also share community gardens, activities, and gatherings at the clubhouse.
(pictured: Colorado Lake Co-op)
The lake is the centerpiece of the property, offering waterfront views, small docks, wildlife watching, kayaking, and a secluded atmosphere.
(pictured: Colorado Lake)
People say Corvallis is unaffordable in terms of home ownership, and it is, but hidden gems like Colorado Lake Co-op can buck those trends. Past listings in the community have ranged from roughly $145,000 to $197,000. And residents own the land.
That means, unlike many other manufactured home parks, the land cannot be sold out from underneath residents, adding both value and security. Of course, that ownership also comes with costs, and the co-op carries an HOA fee of about $565 per month.
Break that down for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 10% down payment, on a $150,000 home in Colorado Lake Co-op, and you’re looking at a monthly payment of $861.00. So about $1426 a month with the HOA’s. That’s cheaper than rent for a standard 2-bedroom apartment here in town.
There are no current listings at Colorado Lake Co-op, but a few homes sold there in 2025.
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