In a town where average rent is $1,400, six single adults became homeowners for just $10,000 each—and now pay $800/month to cover the mortgage and maintenance on their six one-bedroom homes. The C Street Co-op in Springfield, Oregon (the real-life inspiration for The Simpsons) is home to empty-nesters and downsizers who share more than just walls.
source.image: Kirsten Dirksen
John, a master gardener, left a rat-infested rental and now tends urban fields of corn, beans, and fruit in the co-op’s shared gardens. Bette sold her longtime home to escape the upkeep of solo ownership. Kate downsized from a 3-bedroom after her sons left for college, trading space for simplicity and community.
Using Oregon’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules, the group created a legal six-plex in a single-family neighborhood—designing a main house split into four units and an ADU divided into two more. Both the front and back buildings have at least one full kitchen (a permitting requirement), while other units use plug-in induction cooktops and convection ovens.
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Like a manufactured home community, members own their homes but not the land, ensuring permanent affordability while boosting density without changing the neighborhood’s character. Built for just $100k per home, the co-op uses an innovative Limited Equity Co-op (LEC) + Community Land Trust (CLT) model—the first of its kind in Oregon. More than affordable housing, they’ve built a network of mutual care—helping one another through knee surgeries, cancer, and loss.
