SPOKANE, Wash. — Despite the pandemic putting a pause on many construction projects, the Haystack Heights co-housing community on the South Hill was able to break ground on its land in 2020.
After years of planning and finding families to join the community, it was an exciting step for co-founder Mariah McKay.
McKay said they were able to continue construction through the year because they had all their permits completed before the shutdown. Now, after months of construction, the community tucked into a South Hill neighborhood and overlooking downtown is halfway built.
“We just couldn’t be more thrilled,” McKay said.
KREM 2 has been following the Haystack Heights community for years. Their goal is to create a community that works together on things such as meal preparation, yard work, child care and more.
In March 2020, co-founders said the houses were sold out.
But one family decided to take a different housing opportunity, opening one more spot in Haystack Heights. The community now has one four-bedroom, two-bathroom house that they are looking to fill.
The goal is to find a family that will fit in with the other 39 families and have the same goal of living and sharing together. All of the residents who have already committed to living in Haystack Heights are new to a co-housing community.
“This is a determined group of people. These are people who want to live intentionally as neighbors together,” McKay said.
While the community is under construction, the families are working together to set guidelines for how they will all live together. Over the course of the past year, they have created bonds that will help them live cohesively.
McKay said COVID-19 changed how the community members were able to connect. She said they host meetings and social gatherings over Zoom now to stay connected.
That is all in preparation for families to start moving in mid-2021.