It keeps rolling around in my head
A self-sustaining(ish) intentional tiny home community.
I have always given consideration to things we can do to improve the condition of our lives and communities. The path of self-sufficiency is rewarding and beneficial but is that a good model to expect from every family or individual? Ideally yes, realistically, I don't think so. I don't mean it to be a completely self-contained entity but more of a "sustainable" MODEL to help reduce the overall cost of EXISTING. A more sustainable model that helps people to be both mobile economically and physically. Give individuals more opportunities to improve their situation by working more towards the things they are trying to save money on. Give people an easier opportunity to live on less if they so desire.
The dream has always been there for me to buy a hunk of land and leverage the equity to give people tokens representing a share of my homestead if they help me out, whether that be resources or labor. They can make their own decision whether to hold the tokens if they think their share will be worth more in the future (that would require an increase of value to the property and it's holdings) or use those tokens to purchase things the homestead produces. I don't think the answer is for people to do this full time, I honestly see this as an alternative for people to spend some free time. I still want people to work their careers (if they so choose) and live the life they want. I just want something like this to be an OPTION for people. Short day of work? Swing by and lend a hand. Need company? Swing by and lend a hand. Bored? Swing by.
It's troubling that so many people I know that are struggling are attempting to trade their free time for survival, but they feel they don't have enough time to trade. I think the answer is intentionally building an ecosystem that lessens the inputs and resources required to survive by using that free time to building the things that we work so hard to afford. In my opinion, this can easily be represented by the "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs".
Food, Water, Warmth, Rest
I think we can do better than what we have here, I think the answer to the "housing crisis" is to flood the market with low-cost housing. Homebuilding requirements are built on the premise of retaining property value within a community and asset preservation. In most areas that I have looked into, there is a minimum square foot required for new housing. Multi-unit housing requires hoops to jump through and is just further gatekeeping. Zoning and building codes are not continued on only safety reasons (though that may be an excuse).
I think the answer is to find the best practices and communicate them. Working together, creating networks of both information and resources. Working closer with projects that can use each others help (like picking up scraps from the local restaurant to help feed the pig).
Today, I posted on twitter my random high thought:
Though I don't think that should be our first option to build this thing, it would be pretty cool if we pulled it off.
But regardless if that ends up being an option, I do want to go down the road of steps required and things we can do to build these things. I got some helpful replies that really has me excited to purchase some reading material:
Both these people I hope to keep in contact, they're already living that life and will be a valuable resource to connect with.
Ideally - land is purchased with some sort of house on the property (at least a well an electric, to start). There will eventually need to be a pole barn large enough to build tiny homes that can escape the elements if needed and extra points for having an extra garage area. There must be enough space for eventual farming on a decent scale along with room for recreation and space for parking the tiny homes in something resembling more of a long-term campground than a miniature subdivision or manufactured home community.
It doesn't have to start off as anything too special, but who knows what it could turn into. I am disheartened in myself that I gave so much of my time, attention, and motivation to conglomerates that left me with no ownership of anything I tried to help build. Sure, had I been a better steward of money I may have that ownership through land already or have more to show at this point, I won't deny that. But I also think that guilt of telling myself that I am "not working hard enough" is also part of the core problem.
Really, for me, it comes down to I didn't work SMART enough, with enough teamwork, with enough cooperation, with enough intention.
But really, that can all be changed with some intentional thinking and acting.
Thanks for reading, what do you think?