Afleveringen
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Sustaining Homefullness: Building a Collective Future for Affordable, Regenerative Housing
This special Homefullness Show episode because it is a call for collaboration to keep this show alive and the Homefullness programmes to thrive. It's also about clarity on the transition of Homefullness as a separate entity to Common Ground.
Zola explains why Homefullness and Common Ground focus on âhomefullnessâ rather than homelessness: Supporting affordable, collective, regenerative housing in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
She shares her background in community development, Habitat for Humanity, community land trusts, ecovillages, natural building, and her own experience struggling to secure quality housing as a migrant and later single mother amid intense rental competition.
She outlines the three current Homefullness projectsâWomen Revolutionising Housing (hui and peer network), the Homefullness Show (28 episodes on models like land trusts, cohousing, cooperatives, and policy/finance), and a proposed community-focused housing property development course.
To date, this work has been done under Common Ground and has been self-funded since 2019. Zola says she no longer wants to or is able to sustain this purpose-driven work on her own.
She invites supporters to join governance, sponsor/fund, contribute via Patreon, an upcoming PledgeMe campaign, by sharing stories.
There is a a survey for people to indicate their interest to contribute (see link below).
Zola estimates about $18,000 is needed to continue these programmes through June 2027; otherwise, she will pause the mission.
Zola will shift Common Ground to be re-branded as a business offering training-consulting-facilitation to improve collaboration, communication and conflict transformation for businesses, organisations, groups, and families.
Homefullness contribution survey: https://forms.gle/MkzBqaY9ieDFSC9s7
Document to see the details of the Homefullness programmes and budget: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h-cqTSL_xWwv5E5sByV_fEItBACl2LtylWC5Ztc2qsY/edit?usp=sharing
Homefullness is currently at this URL: www.commonground.net.nz
Patreon to be a paid member for as little as a cuppa coffee a month:
patreon.com/commonground_zola
Time stamps
00:49 Why Homefullness Matters
01:51 Housing Models That Inspired Me
04:40 From South Africa To NZ
05:53 Starting Common Ground
06:36 Single Mum Housing Struggle
07:58 Programs Under Homefullness
10:21 Costs And Patreon Reality
11:17 Call For Co Creators
13:41 Funding Plan And Budget
16:47 How You Can Help
18:04 If Funding Falls Short
18:19 Next Chapter For Common Ground
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Robin Allison is the founder of Earthsong EcoNeighbourhood in West Auckland, a 32-home, medium-density cohousing community on 1.2 hectares. It is guided by permaculture ethics, eco-building, and social sustainability, with an educational commitment to share learning.
Zola and Robin discuss âhomefullnessâ as individual autonomy plus shared belonging, intergenerational support, accountability, and personal and collective growth opportunities by working actively with diversity and conflict.
Robin describes Earthsongâs resilience work with the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), concluding urban and community resilience depends on cultivating and fostering wider caring and connected neighbourhood relationships.
A team at Earthsong is launching a film and workshop, âNeighbourliness for Resilience,â which is offered to groups wishing to generate discussion and solutions for their own local resilience. Be in touch with Robin to request a screening and workshop for your community or area.
Earthsong offers tours to groups (by demand) and the public (quarterly). Robin offers seminars on cohousing governance and design, her latest offerings being in Japan. Her book Cohousing for Life is available to get learnings from her experience of developing Earthsong and tips for aspiring intentional community developers (and groups).
Zola at Common Ground is offering a number of services to support councils, housing organisations and professionals, and leaders and groups aspiring to create an innovative housing projects.
Beyond housing, Zola offers services to those wishing to add more connection and harmony to their workgroups--finding and deepening the common ground amongst all members to work and live better together.
Services include:
Connection Labs (playful, interactive workshops) which include communication that increases connection and understand, teambuilding that increases cooperation and effective work flows, somatic activities to increase body wisdom, and Playback Theatre as a playful way to increase empathy and social cohesion.Advisory, Consulting, Facilitation and Speaking services for team and groups (related to housing and team-building)Women Revolutionising Housing network: supporting women curious about and leading innovative housing ideas and projects.Residential Property Development for Community-Focused Housing, a curated course for lay-leaders and professionalsJoin the Homefullness Patreon Community to support the podcast and Zola's work building a movement for housing systems changeTimestamps
01:19 Announcements and Updates
03:12 Meet Robin and Earthsong
03:41 Cohousing and Permaculture Ethics
06:54 Defining Homefullness
10:03 Diversity and Discomfort
12:31 Resilience Research Insights
15:20 Neighborliness Film and Workshops
17:19 Governance Skills for Society
25:38 Cohousing Training and Tours
31:26 Conflict Skills and Meetings
41:12 Personal Note and Future Cities
45:17 Closing Thanks and Vision
Links:
https://www.earthsong.org.nz/
Home page and newsletter sign up: https://www.commonground.net.nz/
Working together--how I support teams and leaders: https://www.commonground.net.nz/work-together
WRH: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-network
Property Devp course: https://www.commonground.net.nz/property-devp-course
Newsletters: https://www.commonground.net.nz/common-ground-newsletter
Connection Lab Playshops: https://www.commonground.net.nz/connection-labs
Homefullness Community: patreon.com/commonground_zola
CG FB: https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/
CG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nz
CG YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannel
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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April Theme: Belonging and the Neighbour Connection Challenge
In this episode, Zola introduces Aprilâs theme of belonging through designing connection with neighbours, linking it to Common Groundâs focus on collective living and affordability via sharing and reciprocity, and permacultureâs people care ethic.
Sheâs excited to share that sheâs making changes to the Homefullness Show to be more practical and announces a Patreon-based Homefullness community with monthly resources.
This includes a âNeighbour Connection Challengeâ which offers simple actions and a 7-day structure to build neighbourly ties, with even more resources available for Patreon members through the platform.
Zola shares her personal experiences of community inclusion and isolation across different places she's lived, highlights intentional community benefits at Riverside Community (New Zealand), and discusses lessons from Serenbe and Steve Nygrenâs book Start In Your Own Backyard about designing walkable, nature-integrated, clustered neighbourhoods.
Check out www.commonground.net.nz for additional services for housing leaders and enthusiasts, housing-related events, and sign up for the newsletter and subscribe to the show to be alerted to upcoming content on compassionate communication for resolving neighbour tensions.
Timestamps
00:00 April Theme Belonging
00:33 Show Format And Homefullness Community on Patreon
02:14 Neighbour Connection Challenge
03:54 Simple Ways To Connect
05:40 Seven Day Challenge Plan
06:32 Personal Story Early Neighbourhoods
11:31 Riverside Community Support
14:33 South Africa Lessons Learned
16:02 Bad Neighbours Experiences
18:37 Serenbe And Better Design
24:20 Start In Your Backyard Actions
26:05 Free Kit And Patreon Journey
26:49 Let Them Roam Pledge
28:04 Services Events And Resources
Links:
Homefullness Community on Patreon: patreon.com/commonground_zolaHome page and newsletter sign up: https://www.commonground.net.nz/WRH: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-networkProperty Devp course: https://www.commonground.net.nz/property-devp-courseNewsletters: https://www.commonground.net.nz/common-ground-newsletterConnection Lab Playshops: https://www.commonground.net.nz/connection-labsTH Cohousing: https://www.commonground.net.nz/th-cohousingCG FB: https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/CG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nzCG YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannelLet Them Roam pledge: https://stacklist.app/letthemroam -
Reshaping Aotearoaâs Planning Laws: Regenerative Housing, Community Agency, and Structural Affordability
New Zealandâs housing crisis, like many countries around the world, stems from a system producing unaffordable homes, ecological harm, and isolated communities.
Zola highlights this ârare opportunityâ as the government rewrites the planning and natural resources bills replacing the RMA.
Zola warns of risks in these bills like growth-led development and reduced citizen participation that could create degenerative outcomes for rural and urban area development for generations to come.
Her call to action to listeners, wherever they are in the world, is to advocate to their local and central governments for policies and laws that explicitly enable regenerative land use, community-led housing models, and structural affordability, including:
legitimizing tiny homes via a national definition and permitted status;rural cluster housing and ecovillage-style tools (including One Planet Development and circular economy villages);inclusionary zoning incentives;recognizing and supporting cooperative housing and community land trusts; andwriting housing as a human right into legislationZola also advocates shifting land use from industrial animal agriculture toward plant-based systems and farmer transition pathways.
Timestamps
00:00 Housing System Crisis
00:25 Planning Reform Moment
01:50 Submission Overview
02:24 Why Replace RMA
03:18 Tiny Homes Legitimacy
04:53 Rural Cluster Housing
06:27 Circular Economy Villages
07:01 Affordability Tools
08:54 Regenerative Land Use Shift
10:46 Six Risks Two Futures
13:45 Call to Engage
14:42 Course and Network Updates
17:22 Housing Guides and Housing Networks to access
19:20 NZ Housing Survey and Patreon Support for the Show
Download her submission presentation on the reports and guides page of the Common Ground website.
Sign up for the Common Ground newsletter and women are invited to join the Women Revolutionising Housing network from the website.
You can join her Patreon community to support her work and this podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola
To inquire about Zola's consulting services or to be a guest on the show, you can book a meeting here:
https://calendly.com/common_ground_zola_rose/quickcall
or here if you are out of the Australasian region:
https://calendly.com/common_ground_zola_rose/quick-call-int-l
https://www.commonground.net.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nz
https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannel
https://karenflett.com/
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Zola interviews Lyndall Parris, founder and resident of Narara Ecovillage on Australiaâs central, east coast (about an hour north of Sydney), about what it takes to create and lead an intentional ecovillage from vision to reality and what daily life feels like there.
The episode outlines Nararaâs cooperative membership model (including the $30,000 buy-in), efforts toward affordability and intergenerational living through CLAN, and key sustainability infrastructure such as a smart grid and localized water systems.
Lyndall shares the long fundraising and development journey (including setbacks during the financial crisis of 2008, the 2012 tender to buy the property, and 2013 settlement), reflects on belonging, kindness, and ongoing conflict-resolution work.
Lyndall offers her free PDF book for those wanting to learn from their model and, of course, to visit their website.
00:52 Narara Ecovillage 101: Location, Land & Community Layout
02:07 How Membership Works: Coâop BuyâIn, Responsibilities & Building Standards
03:18 Making It Affordable: CLAN, Shared Shares & Attracting Younger Families
05:16 Sustainability Systems: Smart Grid Energy + Water & Sewage Independence
06:28 Visit & Learn More: Website, Tours, Getting There from Sydney
07:33 Defining âHomefullnessâ
09:09 From Sheep Farm to âWe Could Live Differentlyâ
11:28 Courage to Build an Ecovillage: One Step at a Time (The Elephant Story)
13:54 Finding the Land + The Great Financial Crisis Setback (2008â2012)
16:43 Keeping the Dream Alive: Open Days, Newsletters & Founder Stamina
20:43 Life as a Resident: Kindness, Events, Healthier Living & Nature Connection
26:07 Not Utopia: Governance, Conflict Resolution & Personal Growth Ripples
29:39 Founder Fuel: âWhatâs In It for Me?â Avoiding Burnout + Financing Returns
31:33 From Setbacks to Solidarity: Building Trust to Fund the Land Purchase
33:20 Women Revolutionizing Housing Network: Monthly Meetups & How to Join
34:24 The $5M Tender Strategy: Pledges, Co-op Setup, and 24 âPioneersâ
37:53 2012â2013: Settlement, Early Works, and Recruiting a Project Director
39:00 Paying the Professionals: Commercial Rates, Deferred Fees, and Success-Based Compensation
40:50 Member-Funded Infrastructure: Installments, Bridging Loans, and Keeping Banks Out
43:01 Co-op Membership & Shares: The $30k Buy-In, Assets, and Creative Affordability
44:38 Community-Building Practices: Weekly Zooms, Alliances, and Staying Connected
46:15 The Ecovillage Mission: Economic, Environmental, and Social âThree-Legged Stoolâ
50:21 Charitable Arm & Tax-Deductible Giving: The Eco Living Network Explained
52:49 Sharing the Model: Website Resources, Free PDF Book, and âJoy of Purposeâ Workshop
55:20 Inspiration & Closing Reflections: Spiritual Practices, Nature, and Next Steps
Links:
https://youtu.be/x_RYTEx1Cxk
https://nararaecovillage.com/
https://nararaecovillage.com/2022/12/lyndall-and-dave/
https://www.commonground.net.nz/
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In this episode, host Zola Rose interviews Zola Ndimande, a Zulu woman from KwaZulu Natal South Africa about her return to her ancestral land to build her own home using traditional earth building methods, and integrating into that community-focused way of living in relationship with people and relationship with the elements.
The discussion covers a range of topics such as traditional housing construction methods, indigenous community living, tribal land stewardship and right to occupy vs ownership, tribal authority vs regulatory governance, traditional ceremonies for returning to occupy land, and the balance between modern and indigenous ways of building and living.
Zola provides insights into the communal support systems prevalent in Zulu communities, the challenges of integrating modern aspirations with traditional values, and the importance of maintaining cultural rituals and land stewardship.
The conversation also touches on the parallels between Zulu and Maori cultures, highlighting the universal human need for community and connection to land.
Zola Rose refers to another episode (May 2025) where she interviews her daughter Oriah about growing up, learning, and creating a home in a similar way when they lived near a Zulu community in KwaZulu Natal South Africa.
02:18 Land Rights and Ancestral Connections
03:36 Community and Tribal Land Systems
10:07 Ceremonies and Traditions in Zululand
17:44 Building with Natural Materials
21:12 Community-Based Tourism and Integration
30:48 Learning the Basics of Cob Building
31:38 Building a Home While Pregnant
32:06 Construction Timeline and Techniques
33:35 Inspiration to Build My Own House
35:29 Exploring the Land and Community
37:07 Traditional vs. Modern Building Materials
39:01 The Importance of Community Support
41:43 Challenges and Legislation in Building
43:16 Sustainable Living Practices
57:42 Cultural Reflections and Language
Your reflections are welcome--we'd love to hear from you. Email to [email protected]
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Zola Rose interviews Magda Garbarczyk from Fine Line Architecture about the 'Straw Lines' project, a modular housing system using low carbon materials like straw and timber to address New Zealand's housing crisis, climate change, unhealthy and expensive building materials, and waste from the agricultural sector.
The project aims to reconnect traditional building methods with modern practices, promote community involvement, and reduce environmental impact.
Magda, alongside collaborator Min Hall, discusses their design competition entry focused on carbon-negative construction that uses locally sourced materials and prefabricated straw panels, making housing construction faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.
Furthermore, they explore the potential for community-led and neighbourhood-scale building initiatives to enhance affordability and sustainability.
Links:
https://www.finelinearchitecture.co.nz/projects/strawlines
https://www.commonground.net.nz/
https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/
00:49 The Relevance of Sustainable Building Materials
02:10 Magda Gik's Architectural Journey
03:09 Project Collaboration and Research
06:26 Historical Context of Building Traditions in Aotearoa
07:44 Straw Lines: Design and Implementation
10:24 Research and Development of Prefabricated Panels
17:57 Community Involvement and Future Vision
21:52 Q&A Session: Addressing Audience Queries
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Host Zola Rose interviews Trystan and Stephanie from the Peterborough Housing Cooperative to discuss this housing model that is a rarity in Aotearoa NZ (a more common model in Europe).
They explore how the cooperative structure, owned by a Trust, keeps rents affordable and fosters a close-knit community of families, young professionals, and the elderly.
They talk about the cooperative's guiding principles and their commitment to maintaining affordability for future generations by capping rents and resale prices.
The episode also details the process of joining the cooperative, the benefits of living in such a community, and the challenges that other groups will face if trying to start their own cooperative housing--challenges due to the dominant systems that make land expensive and finance hard to obtain.
They speak about their conflict resolution process that is built into the guiding document but that people who are accepted to be members already have a willingness to be cooperative.
Because of the complexity, they do offer mentorship and guidance for groups wishing to create their own cohousing or cooperative housing.
Zola shares updates on the Women Revolutionising Housing hui and network, how listeners can support the podcast through the Homefullness Patreon community, and her Earth Fellows fellowship for regenerative housing.
Zola thanks the show sponsor, Home Foundation. https://homefoundation.org.nz/
To learn about the legal routes to unlock cooperative housing in Aotearoa NZ, check out the Homefullness episode of 28 March 2025 and the Common Ground YouTube channel.
Links mentioned in the show:
https://peterborough.nz/
https://www.commonground.net.nz/
https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/
https://www.earthsong.org.nz/
https://www.cohousingco.com/charles-durrett
09:39 Living in Peterborough Housing Cooperative
16:55 Challenges and Benefits of Cooperative Living
34:31 Future Projects and Community Expansion
48:53 Final Thoughts and Invitation to Visit
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Show host Zola shares her personal experience with housing instability through a creative reading of her unpublished article titled 'Homefullness: Recipes for Baking, Belonging, Connection, and Resilience into Housing Futures.'
Zola details her struggles with feelings of homelessness due to the challenge of finding available, affordable accommodation and precarious short-term house and room rentals, despite her professional background and stable income.
She highlights the systemic issues in housing policies and market forces that creates housing insecurity for many working people in our society as well as for single mothers and older women.
She explores how collective housing can offer homefullness but that these models are in short supply due to many factors such as inhospitable legislation, lack of developer interest, and unavailable bank lending or funding.
Zola offers practical 'recipes' for creating more connected and resilient communities for people "in situ" or creating from scratch.
The episode serves as both a personal testimony and a call to action for systemic change in housing development, funding, and legislation.
Timestamps:
00:43 Zolaâs Personal Story: A Recipe for Homelessness
03:45 Her Struggles with Housing Instability
17:38 The Broken Housing System
25:10 Collective Housing Solutions
30:22 Homefullness Recipes for Transformation: In Situ and Collective Housing
38:19 Call to Action: Creating Homefullnessâwhat you can do no matter where or who you are.
Show Links:
Common Ground website & newsletter sign up:https://www.commonground.net.nz/
Become part of the Homefullness Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola
The article and companion document of resources is not yet ready for release. Sign up to the Common Ground newsletter to get alerted when Iâve made this available.
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In this episode Zola interviews Steven Liaros to discuss the importance and the roadmap to create a network of Circular Economy Villages (CEV).
These villages aim to integrate private housing development with public infrastructure to alleviate stress on local governments and create sustainable, regenerative rural and peri-urban communities.
Steven delves into the critical barriers that traditional eco-village projects face, such as local area planning policies, financing, and necessary infrastructure.
The CEV model addresses these issues by incorporating principles of the circular economy, emphasizing reduced waste and enhanced efficiency in energy and water usage, and fostering climate resilience.
The episode highlights the benefits of this model for rural areas and its role in enabling local governments to collaborate efficiently.
The discussion also covers the strategic planning and financial strategies that are key to making these villages a reality.
And, Steven envisions it being a really great place to live where people know their neighbours and share resources and activities and where folks who are a bit nomadic yet with a desire for belonging can find a community within a CEV.
05:36 Vision of Circular Economy Villages
06:32 Daily Life in a Circular Economy Village
10:20 Community Governance and Infrastructure
14:15 Planning and Financing Challenges
17:22 Engaging Local Governments and Investors
25:31 Personal Journey and Motivation
51:24 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Find two explanatory videos on the CEV on Steven's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@steven_liaros?si=_Av-PyiCkOSA2NbJ
Circular Economy Village website: https://www.cevco.life/
Common Ground: https://www.commonground.net.nz/
Women Revolutionising Housing: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-hui-2025
Join the Homefullness Community: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola
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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 GroundWomen Revolution in Housing BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE EPISODE:Ethical Property Investing TIME STAMPS: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:10 Understanding Homefullness01:54 Exploring Regenerative Housing07:00 Affordable Housing Challenges11:58 Community Engagement in Development25:16 Personal Journey into Property Development31:30 The Beginning of a Journey32:31 Understanding Women's Financial Challenges33:41 The Financially Empowered Women Podcast35:06 Building the Women for Homes Fund38:37 Personal Reflections on Homelessness45:38 The Importance of Community and Support51:55 Creative Outlets and Personal Growth54:33 Final Thoughts and Resources
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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 â 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
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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
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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
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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/
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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)
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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 âright to housingâ into domestic law. The interview ends with Sophieâs aspirations for housing in New Zealand and recommendations for further reading and resources on cooperative housing.
Links
Sophieâs 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: Highlight00:45 Welcome to the Homefulness Show01:31 Meet Sophie: A Passionate Advocate for Housing03:04 Sophie's Early Experiences with Housing07:22 Housing Challenges in New Zealand13:58 Sophie's PhD Research and Findings29:14 Legal and Policy Changes for Cooperative Housing38:18 Sophie's Current Housing and Future Aspirations42:12 Fun Facts and Final Thoughts -
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: [email protected]
Zola's: [email protected]
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âGentle 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/
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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/
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