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A Postcard From Staten Island

Two shared housing explorers visit the Ganas Intentional Community

A brick with the word GANAS embedded in the clay on a sidewalk

A few months ago my eldest daughter invited me to attend an online visitors meeting at Ganas, an intentional community on Staten Island.

After the visitors meeting, we arranged to meet this month in New York and head over to the Island to learn more about this particular type of shared housing model.

Ganas currently houses 60 residents in 7 separate houses located within a central city block location. The St. George Ferry dock is downhill from the Ganas community, about a 25 minute walk from the community. -Ed. zm

Observations about Ganas from Deirdre Morrison

“The Ganas Community emphasizes communication that urges residents to be in right relation with one another, working through interpersonal concerns to show value and inclusiveness to the variety of characters that live there.

“In a working class neighborhood that's experienced disinvestment and socioeconomic uncertainty, Ganas' collective of 7 homes is lush with garden zones, many gathering spaces, and offerings for shared stewardship and learning. “

“The people I met there felt kind, authentic, and open to possibility--and it was extremely intergenerational, and more ethnically diverse than other communities I've spent time in.

“I liked that Ganas makes a point to remain cost-effective, with a set relatively low monthly resident contribution that include housing, food, household supplies, and utilities. To me, this is a major and essential point of accessibility in comparison to other communities/co-housings who's buy-in or monthly cost feels out of reach on a modest income.”

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