Housing in Service to Life
How would our housing and neighbourhoods look if they were in service to life? In service to human lives — the social and cultural needs of people, in service to nature and the other life forms on the planet, in service to the livelihood and resilience of the community.
It might seem obvious that housing should be for life but if one looks at the dynamic of how neighbourhoods are designed, the car gets first priority with roading and garages. Trees are removed from new sites for ease of construction and natural contours are flattened. Water is directed out and treated not as as a living entity but as waste. Land is built upon for maximum profit rather than biodiversity or natural commons and food gardens are usually nowhere to be seen around houses.
We know how it feels, if we allow ourselves to really tap into our intuition and deep knowing, when a housing community/neighbourhood has a vibrant life essence and we know when we feel like it’s missing. Many of us are living in the latter, with feelings of a loss and loneliness we can’t quite put our finger on.
What makes the difference in housing that is created in service to life and has that essence, is that these are places usually created by the people who will be living there — by a collective of people, also referred to as community-led housing or collective housing.
So, why don’t we have more of these kinds of places if they feel so good, look beautiful, and make such sense for the wellbeing of people and the environment?
Well, the status quo, the powers-that-be, the systems in place are quite geared to speculative and profit-driven, developer-led housing development. It is not geared to accommodate the more creative and innovative housing types and tenures that people actually want and are trying to create.
Some lucky groups manage to create connected and sustainable housing communities but it usually results in battle scars and only the tough or well-resourced make it through.
Common Ground is offering a variety of ways to enable housing in service to life and support those who are working to create these kinds of housing communities.
Visit our services page to see how we can help you:
Quick strategy sessions for people with a great idea who need clarity on how their project could proceed and also be regenerative
Mentor/coaching packages to help creators gain traction on their housing projects with a one-to-one service
Housing Community Creator Accelerator and Mastermind programme — see below for details.
Our skills to help your project include regenerative thinking and design, facilitation, access to a wide number of housing role players and alternative housing experts, permaculture design, ecovillage design (I am a Global Ecovillage Network Ambassador), non-violent communication workshops, and more…
In addition, we run the Women Revolutionising Housing network for women who are inspired to create more connected, affordable and sustainable housing solutions for their communities. We meet twice monthly online to network and learn and have an in person retreat.
In order to offer people a platform (that is not Facebook) to engage with and find each other in this collective housing world, Common Ground is developing a dynamic membership portal which will be hosting online meet-ups, workshops, courses, discussion topics, and easy access to other members. Membership is opening soon…
There’s a number of ways to stay in touch and keep inspired and informed:
Sign up for the Common Ground newsletter to be alerted of news and inspiration on topics related to “housing in service to life”, early bird specials, links to helpful resources, and more.
Subscribe to the YouTube channel for insightful interviews with housing movers-and-shakers (which could be you), to our LinkedIn page, to our Facebook page, to our Instagram page.
We look forward to receiving your stories for the newsletter and video channel, to connecting with you in the membership space, to supporting you and your project, and/or seeing you at one of the events.
How would our housing and neighbourhoods look if they were in service to life? In service to human lives — the social and cultural needs of people, in service to nature and the other life forms on the planet, in service to the livelihood and resilience of the community.
It might seem obvious that housing should be for life but if one looks at the dynamic of how neighbourhoods are designed, the car gets first priority with roading and garages. Trees are removed from new sites for ease of construction and natural contours are flattened. Water is directed out and treated not as as a living entity but as waste. Land is built upon for maximum profit rather than biodiversity or natural commons and food gardens are usually nowhere to be seen around houses.
We know how it feels, if we allow ourselves to really tap into our intuition and deep knowing, when a housing community/neighbourhood has a vibrant life essence and we know when we feel like it’s missing. Many of us are living in the latter, with feelings of a loss and loneliness we can’t quite put our finger on.
What makes the difference in housing that is created in service to life and has that essence, is that these are places usually created by the people who will be living there-by a collective of people, also referred to as community-led housing or collective housing.
So, why don’t we have more of these kinds of places if they feel so good, look beautiful, and make such sense for the wellbeing of people and the environment?
Well, the status quo, the powers-that-be, the systems in place are quite geared to speculative and profit-driven, developer-led housing development. It is not geared to accommodate the more creative and innovative housing types and tenures that people actually want and are trying to create.
Some lucky groups manage to create connected and sustainable housing communities but it usually results in battle scars and only the tough or well-resourced make it through.
Do you dream to create a housing community in service to life?
But do you feel like it’s a very steep mountain to climb?
Do you long to have the support and encouragement from others on a similar mission?
We have created a new offering, the Housing Community Creator Accelerator Progrmme and Mastermind, for those who see housing as a means for regenerative place-making, for creating places to live that honour relationship and connection to people and the larger web of existence.
Please see the website for details and sign up to receive an invitation to attend a Zoom session where we can share our dreams for what housing solutions we envision and I’ll share more about the programme and how you can participate.
It’s for creators, novice developers, and visionaries who prefer to gain traction in a group format. The programme takes a limited number of participants and there’s an early bird special so make sure to check this out soon.
Click the link below:
Housing Community Creator Accelerator Programme & Mastermind
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
