Can a tiny, little grassroots initiative change the world? We think we can! The Seattle EcoUrban Village (SEV) formed in a moment of frustration (as do many great inventions). Constantly denied affordable housing rentals because of graduate student status, yet needing affordable housing because of the same, SEV looked around for a better way and found intentional community then cooperative home ownership.
We feel the cooperative housing model is the best opportunity for artists, students, single mothers, the working poor, and others to obtain affordable home ownership. Recently, in connecting with friends and consultants, we began to examine existing artist housing models (like ArtSpace) to inquire, is the renter-landlord model the best housing model for artists or is it contributing to neighborhood gentrification?
SEV also connected with Alec Hill of the Tree of Life Collective, a bioregional workers’ collective in Central Vermont dedicated to transforming human systems of food production, ecological sustainability, dissipating traditional economy, and making more time for celebrating life!
As our ad hoc consultant, Alec recently gifted SEV with these consideration:
People (from my observations) unfortunately, often feel dismayed and overwhelmed when trying to imagine the possibility of a better world. However, a better world is certainly possible. A lot of attention is misdirected towards stopping bad things: down with capitalism! Down with nondirect forms of democracy! Down with industrialized agriculture, etc.! But the reality is that many of these things that we’d be much better off without only still exist because there are no reasonable options. If housing cooperatives were readily available, how many people would still pay rent to exploitative landlords? (emphasis added)
Housing cooperatives are a great step in liberating ourselves, and could be a step towards a gift-economy. Imagine it, a free world, where everything is exchanged through generousity and gifts. Of course, a share of a housing co-op isn’t usually just given away without strings, but its a step in the right direction and an amazing improvement on the exploitation&domination naturally found in landlord/tenant relationships. What are things that would fit well with a housing co-op? What are other projects that would contribute towards a free society?
how about:
- collectively owned automobiles (for those who would drive them, anyway)
- cooperative studio and workshop spaces
- skill shares and free schools
- clothing swaps
- community potlucks
- more community potlucks
- a volunteer run community bikeshop that has mechanics to teach people how to maintain their bikes and also sells donated and fixed-up used bikes for less money than a tank of gasoline
- childcare cooperatives
- lending program – to facilitate the sharing of things such as snowshoes, rototillers, 18-foot extension ladders, battery chargers, bicycle carriage, bike racks for cars, anything!
- community currency to keep the money/energy local and not going to large corporations
- community gardens
- buying groups — cooperative food (or anything else) purchasing, in bulk, at wholesale prices
- farmers markets
- FREE! markets — really really free. free gift, not “freetrade”. because free trade is not free; it is trade.
- dropin / community centers – somewhere you can go without having to buy anything! a place for music, for loitering, a place with a restroom for noncustomers, a community kitchen, a lending library
Housing cooperatives are awesome! They decrease people’s need for money and they decrease people’s need to work [soul draining] jobs. That means more time for fun! more time for art! More time for celebration, for walking in the woods, and most importantly more time for living!
We agree Alec!
My daughter and I must find a larger place than the condo we live in..we love to run, play, hide n. seek, roll in the grass, garden, gaze at the open spaces and night sky…
Upon a recent trip to Leavenworth, WA on a land-seeking mission to buy tour…I found that ..unless I somehow dramatically increase my salary or be gifted some cash by an ailing grandmother…my daughter and I are out of luck on the Permaculture property-owner dream…
So a friend brought up ‘going in’ on land w/ friends and aquaintances…my ears perked! I’d love that…but how do we find the people interested …and who has the time to find them AND do the leg work to look for land or homes in a desireable area for EVERYONE…?..then there is the Financing paperwork..who will lead that…again…who has the time…especially if we are working all the time to make ends meet?…!
..and thus…I come upon the Sustainable Community website and this blog on Urban EcoVillage! THiS is A very desirable concept for me and comes at a PERFECT TIME..for me, society, culture, economy…
Community is a hot topic right now. As manager of a Social Networking Community website geared towards ECO-mindedness and sustainability….I’ve found that everything Green leads to Community..the roots…the foundation. A Whole systems approach, the kind of system that is encouraged with all this talk about “GOING GREEN”, must interconnect living and non-living systems and innately run efficiently…using everything to it’s fullest capacity…reaping the most benefit while leaving the least waste while ensuring the future generations will receive the same.
Whether the topic is Green Building and Design, Farmers Markets-Buy Local campaigns, Sustainable Agriculture and Permaculture, Off-Grid Renewable Energy Systems -like solar, or Fair Trade…the theme is keeping the core strong…putting the money back into the community, enriching your mind and soul and heart through connection to the earth, learning, building meaningful and lasting relationships….I think this is the path on which we find true health and real happiness.
Good Luck and Bless, -Maggie
You know Maggie, you are so right, community is a big buzzword right now. I think so many people get that our current community models and national identity that promotes self-reliance and independence ultimately isolates and disconnects people.
I have the same concern that most of the cohousing models that are out there are beneficial for people who already have the means to buy single family housing.
Fortunately, I met with two smart, driven gentlemen yesterday who lead similar grassroots initiatives. We’re in the process of converging, and I’m really excited about it.
Thank you for the good wishes. We need that, it’s a lot of work. It’s not going to happen overnight, and we anticipate resistence, but we remain dedicated and convinced that regular folks like us can create their own solutions for affordable housing in sustainable urban spaces. We’re outside-the-box thinkers, and we’re currently examining a land-trust/cooperative hybrid. So, if you want to get on the list of people interested in buying into the affordable cooperative housing model we’re working on, please drop me an e-mail (click the Contact tab). (Tell your friends too).
Very best wishes to you too.
Alexis