Frolic Community

The term “Frolic” describes a tradition in which hundreds of families gather to raise a barn. Frolics are a demonstration of what is possible when a community comes together to build its future. Over the last handful of days the Frolic Team got the privilege to gather in Phoenix alongside hundreds of other volunteers with Seed the Vote and Living United for Change in Arizona and dive into many deep heartfelt conversations with people navigating whether to vote and how to hold this complex moment. This was a perfect reflection of a Frolic as we could only do so much as individuals in a few days but as a part of the larger network of canvassers we had thousands of conversations which brought many people to the polls. (Last presidential election Arizona's electoral votes were decided by only 10,000 votes!) I must also give an important shout out to our dear friend and partner Kara Murray-Badal (Terner Center for Housing Innovation) who we gloriously stumbled upon as one of the key organizers of the event. A beautiful sign that there are so many important ways for us to do the work we do to bring hope and security and joy and housing the broader community we are apart of.

We're thrilled to be featured in this new report on housing innovation! Collaboration with the Seattle Office of Housing was essential to making Corvidae Co-op a reality, and we're proud to share that story here. Many thanks to the authors of this report and partners Enterprise Community Partners, Wells Fargo Foundation, Ivory Innovations, and Terner Labs, for shining a light on our efforts to create more opportunities for affordable homeownership. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gJJH4Rvp

I’m honored to be representing Frolic Community next week at the Living Future Institute's Affordable Housing Summit! I'll be sharing Frolic's work, including our recently completed project with Allied8, in a session on innovative housing models and pathway to homeownership, and learning more about the amazing work of fellow panelists Faith Cable Kumon (Project for Pride in Living (PPL)) and Dylan Lamar (Cultivate, Inc.). This virtual event takes place October 24 & 25, 2024 from 8AM–12PM PT. Sign up now and join us: https://bit.ly/4g4RTxx #AffordableHousingSummit #HousingForAll #AffordableHousing #RegenerativeDesign #SustainableBuilding

We're thrilled to be featured in this recent Economic Architecture post. They tell our story with care and a deep understanding of the interplay between finance and design in our work. Encourage you to check out their Valuing Homes in Black Communities challenge this fall with The Brookings Institution, linked below.

How can the smallest design details of individual projects start to shift the larger social and financial ecosystems in which they exist? Our co-founder Joshua Morrison discusses this and more with Hélène Lesterlin in a recent episode of Radio Kingston's The Good Work Hour radio show. Thanks Hélène for shining a light on our work and for inspiring us with all you do at the Good Work Institute. https://lnkd.in/dmTeuwRa

Hello Beloved Network, We are expanding our Seattle team (Yay!) Can you please share these opportunities with anyone you think would like to join our small team of pragmatic dreamers working to shift the current real estate development paradigm towards community ownership. Chief of Staff?- act as the operational backbone of our organization, similar to a Project Manager for our company operations. This person will provide direct support to the CEO and COO, helping to manage their priorities and prevent bottlenecking. They will design and implement operational processes and project management structures to improve team effectiveness and to ensure alignment across the organization. Community Developer?- manage all phases of development, from feasibility analysis to construction, while supporting the Development Lab Director as the team grows. We are seeking individuals with direct experience in real estate development and a track record of success in project management, relationship building, and financial pro formas. This role will be joining the organization at an exciting time of growth, and flexibility is key as you will also be supporting various other projects and priorities as they arise. ? Development Lab Director?- help craft the ideation, feasibility analysis, and execution of equitable, thoughtful, and affordable multifamily cooperative housing projects. Leveraging expertise in financial modeling, risk assessment, entitlements, budgeting, and stakeholder management, the?Dev Lab Director will navigate regulatory processes and collaborate with diverse stakeholders. We seek an entrepreneurial problem-solver with a proven track record in real estate development project management, coupled with a passion for expanding communal ownership models and promoting housing equity. More details can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gUn-zVKS Thanks!

We're #hiring a new Chief of Staff in Seattle, Washington. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We’re thrilled to be opening the doors at Corvidae Co-op, a new cohousing community in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Our first Development Lab project, Corvidae is a major milestone for us and for everyone who believes in better, more equitable housing. With Allied8 as architects and co-developers, along with the collaboration of co-op residents and our partners at Green Canopy NODE and Urban Black, we transformed an empty lot zoned for single-family housing into a beautiful, cooperatively-owned community of 10 homes. Our shared ownership model has allowed for small down payments from $8k to $30k, making homes affordable to households earning 50-120% AMI. Subsidies and down payment assistance from the Seattle Office of Housing, HomeSight , and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County brought down payments even lower for a handful of residents. This project and the others that follow will help build a bridge to homeownership for generational renters, allowing them to build equity, stability, and stronger community. Thank you to our lenders: 1st Security Bank of Washington, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, LEAF, Local Enterprise Assistance Fund , Verity Credit Union, and National Cooperative Bank. Without your leadership and vision, this dream would never have been possible. It was no easy feat, but the lessons learned and tools created in the past few years will pave the way for many more communities like Corvidae! Photos by Rafael Soldi and Netra Nei.

Proud to have our newest team member of Frolic Community, Kalen McNamara speaking at the 2024 AIA San Francisco Housing+ Symposium today. Our panel on the future of housing will be moderated by a hero of mine, Charles Durrett, who with his partner Katie McCamant brought co-housing to the U.S. many years ago and whose original book on co-housing sent me on a path to study architecture in Denmark, meet my wife, and one day co-found Frolic Community. Karen Parolek of Opticos Design, Inc. (at the forefront of thinking on missing middle typologies, and Vivian Schwab of The Northern California Land Trust (doing incredible work in housing equity) will also be on the panel, and Leah Rothstein, who co-wrote Just Action (a followup from The Color of Law), will speak earlier in the day. It should be an amazing program for those who can join. Event Details ?? When: Thu, Jun 13, 2024, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM ?? Where: Center for Architecture + Design (140 Sutter St, San Francisco, California, US, 94104) ?? More Info and Registration: https://lnkd.in/e2ve_T97

We are happy to announce we are seeking a Community Developer to join our growing team! This role will be crucial to advancing equitable and affordable cooperative housing projects in the Seattle area and beyond. Please share this post with anyone looking to make a meaningful contribution to cooperative housing and community building in the real estate field, or apply today!