Cooperative Living, Tiny Home Challenges, Support for Landsharing
Topics covered:
Register for the Cooperative Living event on 24 November Top of the South
Tiny Home challenges and opportunities with council and appropriate THOW policies
How I can help you/your group/your council
Helping groups to get clear on their vision, mission, goals for land-sharing and cooperative housing initiative.
Presentation and workshop on affordable, community-focused housing
Communication that minimises conflict
Homefullness Show—topics to explore
Aerial of Narara Ecovillage about 1.5 hours north of Sydney on the train. It currently has about 60 homes with the second phase of development starting soon.
Cooperative Living event on 24 November Top of the South, 4-6pm @Riverside Community Hall
Whether you wish to explore landshare/purchase options with others, join a forming intentional community, start your own housing initiative, find land for your tiny home, or just curious about the many models of cooperative and collaborative housing models, you won't want to miss this event. You'll learn what works for successful housing and community projects and get a chance to meet and network with others who share these interests.
With the challenges of affordability to own or purchase on your own and building and planning regulations which can be confusing, joining together with others for living, working, sharing, and advocating is much more effective and supportive.
Tiny Home challenges and opportunities with council and THOW-appropriate policies
Photo on left: Councillor Trindi Walker, Christin Schäffner, Nick Hughes, Rick Bensemann—presenters at the event held at Revite. Photo on right: participants in the event. Faces are blurred as I did not get consent from these people.
Around the country, people are trying to get their housing needs met with Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOW)*. Unfortunately, many are getting told by their council that they are in breach of the building act and the resource management act.
Policies differ and can even be contradictory between central and local government planning regulations—is it a building or a vehicle? What does fixed to land mean? How long can it be lived in before being considered a dwelling? These contradictions create insecurity for people living in tiny homes and for the landowners who have offered their land for a THOW to be parked.
Here in the Tasman District, these breach notices seem to be increasing (See below the most recently articles). In one case, a family owning land renting to a THOW owner has been taken to the Environment Court for breaching regulations. The family took the case to defend and get clarity on what they believe are unclear or irrelevant policies. They hope to win their appeal and that their case can create a precedent creating more ease and security for others living in THOW.
Christin, from the above case, was getting contacted by many others in the Tasman District who are dealing with similar challenges, so she decided to pull the community together with an event held on 6 Nov at Revite Café in Motueka to discuss housing challenges in the district, how tiny home owners are being negatively affected, and how to work with council to get more clear and appropriate policies that gives THOW owners security, understanding housing to be a human right.
The presenters included Trindi Walker--Councillor with Tasman District Council (TDC), Nick Hughes--Motueka Community Board Member, Rick Bensemann—landowner leasing plots to 5 tiny homes, Christin Schäffner—landowner leasing a plot to a tiny homeowner. Each shared their concerns for local people struggling with housing insecurity and challenges in dealing with council on helping people with THOW.
The two councillors said it was important that people voice their concerns so they can be more effective at taking these matters to the Council to deal with as a matter of urgency. The participants at the event, which numbered 40+, were eager to see solutions coming from TDC and many put their hand up to be on a working group to create a strategy and action plan. Working with, not against, council was a value that many shared.
Note, there is a Local Government THOW working group to create policy solutions for THOW that is partnering with the NZ Tiny Home Association. I believe a pilot is being run on the North Island so I hope to report news of this in the future.
*There are a number of reasons people choose this type of housing over buying a conventional house and many reasons are that they feel they have no other choice. I believe my circumstances are probably one of the most common. In my own case, I owned a home but when my relationship ended, he wanted to be paid out and I could not afford it on my own. Over a number of years, as a single mother with teens, I was not able to secure an affordable rental. I was consistently turned down for rentals and when I did find a rental, it was short-lived when homeowners sold the home. So, seeing no affordable or secure housing option for myself and my son, I decided to buy a tiny home. However, finding a landowner willing to rent me a plot was very difficult due to these unclear council regulations.
Articles:
10 Nov: Enforcement ‘sledgehammer’: Four tiny homes ordered to move on by council
2 Nov: Pressure mounts on council's tiny home enforcement
If you’re interested to be on the working group for helping with advocacy and solutions for THOW, email me.
How I can help you:
Council and provider housing strategy for affordable and regenerative housing
Check out my page of services here.
Land-share/housing mentorship & facilitation
Are you looking to share land or create a housing project with others?
I offer mentorship and facilitation of group visioning online or in person.
Compassionate Communication: Increasing Cooperation and Reducing Conflict for Teams and Workplaces
I offer workshops for teams, groups, and organisations in communication techniques that increase cooperation and that reduce conflict and that help to work through conflict in supportive and productive ways.
Homefullness Show: Change-making conversations on housing for people and planet
When the community in Whakatāne were facing similar THOW issues of unfair and unclear council policies for THOW, a large group of concerned citizens banded together to advocate for housing justice and formed WHARE, the Whakatāne Housing Action Reform Enthusiasts.
Listen to episode 2 (30 Mar) to hear about their story.
Listen to episode 5 (5 Aug) on opportunities for local government to take a lead for affordable housing.