Homefullness

Empowering Women to End Homelessness

In this episode of the Homefullness Show, Dionne Payne, founder of Women for Homes, discusses her ambitious mission to inspire 1 million women to invest $5,000 each to end homelessness by 2030.  She is inviting women to contribute to an ethical investment fund that will, when a substantial amount is accumulated, will develop affordable housing projects.
 
We discuss what "affordable" means in this context, which is 30% of a homeowner or renter's income, and how to create perpetual, retained, intergenerational affordability.
 
Dionne shares her journey from a scientist to a real estate developer, impact investor for affordable housing, and financial educator for women, driven by her concern for the growing numbers of older women becoming homeless due to unforeseen circumstances (such as relationship break-up or low savings due to under-earning over a lifetime.)
 
She speaks of her development of affordable units in Australia, which worked with a tenure-blind model (where residents don't know who has subsidised housing). 
 
She is inspired by the One Planet Living framework which guides sustainable housing and neighbourhood development.
 
Dionne provides insights into financial empowerment, including the importance of community and diverse investment strategies, and offers her Amazon bestseller book, 'Ethical Property Investing', for free download to interested listeners.
 
Visit WomenForHomes.com and connect with Dionne on LinkedIn. Tune in for a conversation filled with actionable steps towards creating more inclusive and affordable housing solutions.
 
RELEVANT LINKS:
Common Ground
Women Revolution in Housing
 
BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE EPISODE:
Ethical Property Investing
 
TIME STAMPS:
 
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:10 Understanding Homefullness
01:54 Exploring Regenerative Housing
07:00 Affordable Housing Challenges
11:58 Community Engagement in Development
25:16 Personal Journey into Property Development
31:30 The Beginning of a Journey
32:31 Understanding Women's Financial Challenges
33:41 The Financially Empowered Women Podcast
35:06 Building the Women for Homes Fund
38:37 Personal Reflections on Homelessness
45:38 The Importance of Community and Support
51:55 Creative Outlets and Personal Growth
54:33 Final Thoughts and Resources

Building Resilient Futures: Insights on Ecovillages

In this episode, host Zola interviews Zahra Lightway about her tour of eco villages across Australia, India, and Europe.
The conversation explore what made the ecovillages she visited successful, mainly a robust governance system, income-earning programmes and opportunities, a shared worldview (values and beliefs), and mission-driven activities.
They cover sociocracy as a governance model, the difference between eco estates and eco villages, and innovative financial models like Les Pas Sages for start-up ecovillages, and the significance of a well-structured internal economic system.
The episode concludes with a conversation about the future of ecovillages.
 
Related links:
https://www.commonground.net.nz/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahralightway/
 
Global EcoVillage Network (GEN)
Main Website: https://ecovillage.org/ Global Ecovillage Network
Additional regional sites:
GEN Europe: https://gen-europe.org/
GEN United States: https://www.gen-us.net/
GEN Oceania & Asia: https://genoaecovillage.org/
 
Gaia Education
Main Website: https://www.gaiaeducation.org/ Sustainable Education Courses | Gaia Education - Transforming Communities
 
Foundation for Intentional Community
Main Website: https://www.ic.org/ Foundation for Intentional Community
 
EcoVillage Tours
Main Website: https://www.ecovillagetours.com/ Ecovillage Tours | Visit Intentional Communities around the world — Ecovillage Tours
 
Time stamps:
04:18 Zahra's Eco Village Exploration Tour
06:12 Insights and Best Practices from Eco Villages
19:33 Economic Models and Sustainability in Eco Villages
25:29 Challenges and Solutions in Eco Villages
43:52 Learning Opportunities and Resources
47:35 Conclusion and Contact Information

Hemp Homes: A home-grown building material that saves the earth.

In this episode of the Homefulness Show, host Zola Rose engages  with Jo, the chair of the Hemp Builders Association in New Zealand, and Barbara, a resident of a hempcrete home, to explore the benefits and potential of hempcrete as a sustainable building material.
Jo discusses hempcrete's ability to sequester carbon, its role in mitigating the housing crisis, and its use in community-driven, regenerative housing models. Barbara shares her personal experience of building and living in a hempcrete home, highlighting its thermal and acoustic properties.
The episode also covers exciting updates, including the support from the Home Foundation, the introduction of an assistant producer, and the launch of a Patreon page for community support. Additionally, Zola Rose provides information about upcoming events organized by the Women Revolutionizing Housing Network and the Common Ground consultancy.
Related links:
https://www.commonground.net.nz/
https://hba.nz/
 
Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction to Hempcrete and Its Benefits
01:47 Welcome to the Homefullness Show
02:35 Exciting Announcements and Sponsorships
04:54 The Impact of Recent Weather Events
06:03 Introduction to Hemp Homes with Joe and Barbara
07:16 The Climate Crisis and Construction Industry
10:50 Hempcrete: A Sustainable Building Solution
16:10 The Process of Building with Hempcrete
22:01 Innovative Uses and Future of Hempcrete
23:58 Introduction to Hempcrete Blocks
24:21 Carbon Sequestration Benefits of Hempcrete
25:58 Thermal and Environmental Advantages
27:45 Fire Resistance and Building Code Compliance
28:30 Personal Experience with Hempcrete Homes
32:41 Challenges and Solutions in Hempcrete Construction
38:07 Community and Environmental Impact
44:44 Future of Hempcrete and Final Thoughts

Real Estate In Service to Regeneration: Home as a place that nourishes life, connection, and meaning

Zola explores the concept of regenerative real estate with Neal Collins, founder of the Regenerative Real Estate Podcast and Choose Latitude. The discussion delves into transformative housing models that prioritize sustainability, community engagement, and affordability.
Zola shares her personal journey of finding a suitable site for her tiny home, emphasizing the importance of shifting from an ownership mindset to a stewardship approach and creating a regenerative checklist for assessing potential land for creating a homestead.
Neal discusses the need to reimagine real estate practices, focusing on community-based decision making and ecological design.  He describes how the process would look differently if one were doing a regenerative real estate buying or selling versus the conventional approach.
The episode also highlights practical strategies for creating high-performance, cooperative housing that aligns with the principles of regeneration.
02:38 Exploring Regenerative Real Estate
06:04 Personal Journey and Challenges
07:40 Criteria for a Regenerative Home
11:41 Community and Collaboration
13:50 Regenerative Real Estate Concept and Insights
18:45 Challenges and Opportunities in Regenerative Real Estate
27:35 Collaboration potential for professionals working in the regenerative housing sector
39:26 Q&A Session: Steps of buying and selling using a regenerative approach
 

Bridging the gap to resource communities to lead their own affordable housing development

In this episode, host Zola Rose discusses what creates successful community-led housing (CLH) with guest Thomas Moore, a senior lecturer in Geography and Planning at the University of Liverpool.
They explore the concept of Enabling Hubs, a practical form of advocacy infrastructure, and why these Hubs are so important for overcoming the challenges communities face in achieving affordable and sustainable housing for themselves.  Tom explains how these hubs are funded and function and about the training programmes to build capability for community-led housing advocates.
Tom shares his excitement at discovering collective housing models, his insights from his research on Community Land Trusts, the importance of genuine community engagement (not just consultation) and how his planning students are learning from their communities what makes for great homes.  
Both highlight the need for robust government support and community participation approaches to planning and development.
Zola makes a case for integrating environmental sustainability into affordable housing projects through frameworks like Permaculture Design.
01:15 Meet Our Guest: Thomas Moore
03:17 Understanding Community-Led Housing
07:26 Thomas Moore's Journey into Housing
14:27 Exploring Housing Models and Innovations
24:49 The Role of Enabling Hubs
35:50 Educational Initiatives and Student Engagement
42:51 Final Thoughts and Recommendations for Further Learning
 
Books
https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creating-community-led-and-self-build-homes
https://uclpress.co.uk/book/postcapitalist-countrysides/
https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10.3828/9781789621082
 
Podcast
https://middlemarchclh.co.uk/podcasts/
 
Springhill co housing - https://www.springhillcohousing.com
 
Enabling hubs report - https://www.shu.ac.uk/centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/homes-in-community-hands-year-three-evaluation-report
 
Accreditation training - https://www.cch.coop/clh-training-programme/

Connecting with Nature and Community: Lessons from Growing Up in an Off-Grid Home in Africa

In this special episode of the Homefullness Show, host Zola Rose sits down for an engaging interview with her daughter Oriah, a law student at Otago University in New Zealand.
They explore Oriah's unique upbringing in an off-grid homestead in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Topics include their unconventional home setup with indoor and outdoor 'loos,' the transition from a suburban lifestyle to a self-sufficient homestead, their meaningful rituals and traditions, the "free learning" style of education, and living surrounded by wild animals.
The discussion also touches on the broader community involvement through the Woofing program, their intercultural interactions with the local Zulu community, and the various sustainable practices they adopted and shared with schools and visitors.
The episode offers rich insights into intentional off-grid living, the importance of community, and holistic education.
To see a video we made about our homestead where Oriah is narrating, go here:
Link to YouTube video of our homestead: https://youtu.be/dNzA3HPxAB0
00:26 Visiting My Daughter in Dunedin
01:22 Introduction to the Homefullness Show
02:13 Special Guest: My Daughter Oriah
02:24 Our Unique Upbringing in KwaZulu Natal
04:54 Holistic Home Environment
06:41 Family Traditions and Rituals
10:13 Learning and Growing on the Farm
13:25 Eco-Friendly Practices and Innovations
25:35 Coexisting with Snakes
26:26 Wildlife Visitors at the Homestead
29:13 Common Ground Consulting Agency--our services
30:11 Sustainable Living Systems
32:13 Fire Management on the Homestead
36:28 The Woofing Program Experience
40:25 Building and Living in Yurts
42:54 Interacting with the Zulu Community
45:22 Reflections on a Unique Upbringing
48:33 Upcoming Events and Announcements (for those living in Aotearoa NZ)

Housing Crisis Unlocked: The Legal Path to Affordable, Cooperative Living

Sophie, a public works advisor at Land Information New Zealand, discusses her PhD in law, focusing on achieving housing affordability through collective housing, and cooperative housing in particular.
The conversation covers various aspects, including the lack of research and public awareness on collective housing in New Zealand, her personal experiences with different housing systems in Europe, and the role of local and central governments in addressing the housing crisis.
Sophie emphasizes the need for legal reforms to support cooperative housing structures and discusses her findings on the limitations of the unit title structure for collective housing and how finance and funding is blocked without the legislation for cooperative housing.
The discussion also touches on potential influences from European and Australian models, and the importance of incorporating the “right to housing” into domestic law. The interview ends with Sophie’s aspirations for housing in New Zealand and recommendations for further reading and resources on cooperative housing.
Links
Sophie’s research: https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/items/e546de2f-eddb-400c-8bc5-5bffb1c04651
Common Ground: https://commonground.net.nz
CoHoHui: https://www.cohohui.com/
The Housing Innovation Society: https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/
 
Time stamps
00:00 Introduction: Highlight
00:45 Welcome to the Homefulness Show
01:31 Meet Sophie: A Passionate Advocate for Housing
03:04 Sophie's Early Experiences with Housing
07:22 Housing Challenges in New Zealand
13:58 Sophie's PhD Research and Findings
29:14 Legal and Policy Changes for Cooperative Housing
38:18 Sophie's Current Housing and Future Aspirations
42:12 Fun Facts and Final Thoughts

Building a non-residential community of purpose and belonging

In the latest episode of the Homefullness Show, I interview Trypp West, the founder of an urban community called Springfed in Boulder, Colorado (USA).  He describes the founding of Springfed, a community that started as his thesis project and has continued for the past three years. The community operates on a non-residential model with the meeting place being his rented farmhouse where they hold fortnightly potlucks and Sunday gardening days to foster social bonds and teach self-sufficiency.
The five take-aways from this interview are:
Community Impact:
The intentional community has profoundly impacted individuals, helping those suffering from depression and disconnection. Members express deeply personal benefits and emotional support from the community, which enhances their sense of belonging and life purpose.
Concept of Homefullness:
"Homefullness" is described as the feeling of being able to rely on and connect with people around you. It emphasizes the importance of interrelatedness and creating a supportive environment that fosters a sense of home.
Development and Leadership:
The community, initiated as a thesis project, has continued to thrive for years. The leadership promotes shared roles and responsibilities, empowering members to take on leadership roles and contributing to the evolution of the community. Leadership includes facilitating conflict resolution and ensuring equitable participation.
Ecological and Social Activities:
Key activities include bi-weekly potlucks that strengthen social bonds, garden days that teach and involve members in sustainable practices, and various thematic events that encourage community engagement and personal growth.
Measuring Success and Future Vision:
Success is measured qualitatively through heartfelt feedback from members rather than formal metrics. The community prioritizes emotional and social well-being through personal testimonies and shared experiences. Future visions include potentially expanding to a more residential model while continuing to foster inclusive and cooperative community practices.
 
Resources mentioned in episode:
Common Ground: https://commonground.net.nz
CrowsFlyInPairs.com (poetry book)
Upstream, podcast on socialist economics
Iron John, book by Robert Bly on masculinity
Returning to the Teachings by Rupert Ross
Less is More by Jason Hickel
Trypp's email: onatrypp@gmail.com
Zola's: zola@commonground.net.nz

Gentle Density: Backyard housing development that leaves room for nature & connection

 Gentle density is a term in Australia for infill housing development in urban areas, to create more housing within existing neighbourhoods, also known as incremental development in the U.S. 
In this episode, I interview Mark and Lynda Utting on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland Australia.  They share about their way of developing housing in their backyard to give a great place to live to the future residents. 
They are able to do this because their area has been rezoned to medium density, meaning they've been given permission to build up to nine units in their backyard.
A lot of people get worried when they hear "density" and infill development because downsides can include shade blocking out nearby houses, it might not match the character of the original neighborhood, too many cars parked on the road, etc. 
Yet, Mark and Lynda have come up with a land-use and housing design that I think few would have problems with. They have kept it to four new dwellings because they are prioritising quality of life for their residents and more sustainable and environmental outcomes. 
This is a great interview because it showcases how density and infill development can be done better.  They speak about the challenges of being lay-developers (not professional) but also the joy and opportunity of learning new skills and knowledge, of creating a sense of belonging to place, and the resources they've found helpful in their endeavour.  Visit their instagram page to see what that can look and function like.  
We speak to the need for Councils to give incentives for infill development that prioritises better social, environmental, and affordability outcomes rather than the usual profit motive of conventional developers.  And that councils can give assistance or support to lay developers to achieve these better outcomes.
So have a listen to this episode about what gentle density and better infill development can look like and how to do it. 
Links mentioned in this episode:
Mark & Lynda's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentledensity/
Undercover Architect: https://undercoverarchitect.com/
Renew: https://renew.org.au/
Strong Towns: https://www.strongtowns.org/
Common Ground: https://www.commonground.net.nz/
 

Sharing with Friends: An Innovative Co-Housing Model for Single Women

The Sharing with Friends housing model was born out of a burning desire for housing justice for single older women who are in the "missing middle"--who do not qualify for social housing but also can't afford market rental or to buy their own home and who are living on the edge of housing insecurity. 
The unique co-housing model provides an affordable, secure, and connected way of living where five women, who self-select, share a specifically designed house which offers privacy and automony while also a sense of community, having spaces for shared meals and activities.
I interview Susan Davies and Adrienne Irvine, founders of the Sharing with Friends Foundation about how they formed the foundation and fund the development, how the programme gives women agency by through workshops that empowers them to design how they will live together, and how the model can be replicated throughout Australia and other countries.
https://www.sharingwithfriends.org/
https://www.commonground.net.nz/