The Resilient Village
We center our work on the theme Not For, But With—engaging people in planning and building communities that are sustainable, beautiful and culturally rich.
The Village Model
ecoTHRIVE Housing builds socially resilient, ecologically sustainable, cooperatively-owned community villages. We’re forming a Community Land Trust (CLT) to create pathways to resident-owned, limited equity housing accessible to people earning low incomes, now and for future generations.
Moving beyond traditional nonprofit housing development to an organizational model of nonprofit community development, we center our work on the theme Not For, But With—engaging people in planning and building communities that are sustainable, beautiful and culturally rich.
Each village will include private living quarters with living/sleeping areas, a kitchenette and bathroom. Common facilities include a community kitchen, dining and living areas, shared laundry facilities, gardens and workshop, with potential for renewable energy production.
Building small and green offers people with low incomes the full benefits of energy efficient, high quality construction.
The villages will be designed to support creative work and economic activity for people who want to live in a creative community, grounded on principles of reciprocity. With resilience as a touchstone, these communities are designed to withstand the impacts of economic downturns, climate disruption, food insecurity and global pandemics.
Metrics for Success
Each Resilient Village will have its own self-determined goals with supportive action plans, ultimately contributing to a thriving network of unique, sustainable communities. As our research continues and our partnerships expand, we will work with resident-owners to set additional metrics that align the following shared values: economic, ecological, social and cultural sustainability.
We currently have set the following overarching metrics for success
100% of residents participate in decision-making
Community Agreements will be created in collaboration with resident-owners. ecoTHRIVE Housing uses Sociocracy as our decision-making process.
Energy use reduced by 85%
By maximizing energy efficiencies and installing a renewable energy infrastructure such as solar, each village will aim to be net zero, producing as much energy as it consumes. This will help reduce carbon emissions and promote best practices to reduce the impacts of climate disruption.
Personal food costs reduced by 25%
Village owner-residents will have access to food grown on site for personal use, reducing food cost and increasing access to fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
Income-earning and educational opportunities for residents and neighbors
ecoTHRIVE Housing, through community partners, will provide educational & skill-building workshops to support community-building and income-producing opportunities, as well as joy in life (i.e. democratic decision-making, permaculture, commercial and artisanal food production, construction, landscaping, art making).
Resource use is twice as efficient than that of a typical single-family home
Water catchment systems, recycling, composting and other technologies will reduce consumption of valuable natural resources.
Have questions?
Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
