The community

A space that
belongs to you

Lusthaven is a queer community built with intention — a place to gather, to live, and to build something together. A home shaped by the people who use it, not by landlords or investors.

Our target property — a historic Flemish estate — will become the home for this community once secured. Lusthaven, the association, shapes the culture and programming. The Haven Collective SC/CV, the cooperative, stewards the home itself.

Belonging here isn't a subscription. It's a relationship — one you grow into at your own pace.

Ways of belonging Our values
Ways of belonging

The ecosystem
of community life

There isn't one way to be part of Lusthaven. People participate in different ways, at different depths, and at different times in their lives. Many hold more than one of these roles at the same time.

Visitor

Attend events, retreats, and gatherings. Come and go as you please.

  • Event access
  • Safer space protections
  • No commitment required
About events

Community Member

Join the association. Stay connected. Take part in community life when you can.

  • Priority event booking
  • Community updates
  • Invitations to gatherings
Express interest

Contributor

Full members of the association — shaping programming, culture, and direction.

  • Vote in association governance
  • Participate in assemblies
  • Help shape programming
Apply to contribute

Steward

Members of the cooperative — caretakers of the home once acquired.

  • One vote in cooperative governance
  • Stewardship of the estate
  • Eligibility for residency
Apply for stewardship

Resident

People who live on the estate — some as Stewards, some as long‑term guests trying out the community.

  • Below‑market rent
  • Participate in daily life
  • Support the upkeep of the home
About residency

Pillar

Foundational lenders who make the project possible. Support without governance.

  • Support the acquisition
  • Foundational role
  • Regular project updates
Support the project
Responsibilities

Expectations & commitments

Not every form of belonging comes with responsibilities. But some roles do — because they shape the culture or steward the home.

Contributors

Contributors are full members of the association — the voting assembly. They help shape the cultural life of the project. Contributors are expected to participate in assemblies, engage with programming and community discussions, uphold the values of the space, and show up with consistency and care.

Stewards

Stewards are members of the cooperative — the caretakers of the home. They participate in cooperative governance, maintain presence and involvement, take on practical responsibilities for the estate, and steward the home with care and accountability. Stewards also have the opportunity to work toward partial ownership of the cooperative over time, but this cannot be bought — it is earned through commitment and participation.

Living here

Residency

Residency is a way of living the community — not a governance role. There are two kinds of residents.

Long‑term Guests stay for extended periods without becoming Stewards — often Community Members or Contributors who want to try out the community before committing.

Steward‑Residents are Stewards who choose to live on the estate. Stewards pay below‑market rent in exchange for participating in the upkeep and daily life of the home.

Residency is equal for all Stewards regardless of how many shares they hold. It is practical, humane, and grounded — a benefit of participation, not a reward for capital.

Ask about residency →
What we stand for

Values that are built in

These are structural commitments encoded in how the association and cooperative are owned and governed.

Genuinely queer

A home built by and for queer people across all genders and orientations. Designed for the comfort of trans people, non‑binary people, queer women, and others who have historically found gay‑coded spaces unwelcoming. Gay men are fully at home here. So is everyone else.

Sex‑positive by design

Sex‑positivity is not a theme or a corner of the venue — it is foundational. Shame has no structural home here. The consent framework and safer‑space policy apply everywhere, at all times.

Democratically governed

One member, one vote. The size of your financial contribution does not determine your voice. The community shapes what this place becomes.

Community over commerce

In the early years, the project needs to be financially viable. Once the founding loans are repaid, commercial considerations recede and community programming takes precedence. This is written into the cooperative's purpose.

Safer space commitment

Lusthaven operates under a comprehensive consent and safer‑space framework that applies to all members, residents, staff, and guests. It is reviewed and updated every two years with community input. No exceptions. No hierarchies of protection.

Read the full policy
Community photograph
People gathering in the space — a warm, candid moment