Women Revolutionising Housing Retreat and Network

Women Revolutionising Housing

We are a flaxroots movement and a network of diverse women working for housing systems change and catylising positive local housing and community projects that are better for people and planet

Women Revolutionising Housing

Participants of the retreat-hui, June 2021 at Tauhara

Presentation on eco-efficient homes

One of the pecha kucha style presentations

Topic discussions

How to do we take the revolution forward

Full group discussion

Listening, sharing, learning, connecting

Dining table discussions

Topic of savings pools

Why the need for a revolution

Quality housing is the foundation of human thriving, yet Aotearoa is suffering a crisis of housing that is undermining the thriving of our people and planet. Women are fed up with seeing the well-being and potential of their children, communities, future generations, and the earth being compromised by low quality, expensive, and insecure housing.

Women are rising up around the country, in rural areas, towns and cities, of all ages, to create local and country-wide changes to the way we do housing. But most women are working in isolation, with limited resources, and within a system that does not acknowledge or support community-led, non-speculative housing.

This network is about the power we have when we dream, work, and share together.

This movement is about creating the kinds of homes, neighbourhoods and communities that are values-oriented around: social connection, care for the earth and our environment, nourishment, honouring of culture, inclusion, diversity, affordability, generosity, and wellbeing.

See some of the projects women are initiating & leading

Herstory of the movement & network

Since mid-2020, Zola Rose of Common Ground has been convening online networking sessions with women who identify as leaders or catalysts of innovative collective housing, intentional community, ecovillage projects--from those with just an idea to those who have completed or live in collective housing. The sessions are time for sharing inspiration, advice, and resources, exploring new paradigms, and supporting each other's missions.

In early 2021, Zola put out the call to gather together to grow our individual and collective capacity for doing this extraordinary work which is at the flaxroots level with local projects and global level for systems change.

We gathered from 8-10 June 2021 at Tauhara Centre in Taupo, Aotearoa New Zealand for a retreat-hui. The event was co-created with topics and programme from those that would be attending.

Women from ages 22-83, far north to far south, Māori and Pakeha, novices to experts, participated and led parts of the programme. Sponsorships were sought so it could be inclusive of diversity and affordable.

The event was nourishing for the mind, body and spirit and incorporated the elementals of Water for emotion and going-with-the-flow; Air for expanding our minds, connecting conversation and inspiring talks; Earth for grounding into Earth/Papatuanuku and for nourishing food and connections; and Fire for ingiting our passions and purpose with positive energy.

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Our crowd-sourced discussion topics

These topics were co-generated before and during the event with the participants using the "open space technology" method. Women either led a topic on which they were an expert or joined a topic to learn something new.

Starting Community
Power & Leadership
How to create safe, inclusive, diverse “spaces”
Papakāinga
Pro-Social
Co-Designing methods
Developer (Business) working together with community-focused housing group
Savings Pools

Topic details

Taking the revolution forward

In order to make successful systems change and take this housing revolution forward, we discussed what was needed for us individually, as a collective, and next steps. The following topics were explored using "world cafe" style.

Regional Togetherness
Process of Revolution
Systems change and a new vision
Structures for our movement
Instant next steps
Resourcing ourselves

Topic details

Reflections and insights

Some selections from the 33 participants

This event was a powerful catalyst for women to be able to step into their own power and leadership within the movement and for their specific projects, to receive confirmation and support for their dreams, and to be inspired and encouraged by what others have already done.

What valuable insights did you gain from others?

Our collective wisdom is so valuable to my/ our future housing/ building community 'mission'
Their trials, pathways, dedication, perseverance
That we are on the same page in many ways, & some of the women here are already on the way with incredible projects/ visions
Such strength & talent is cause for hope & celebration
Recognition of the strength of committed people/ groups, and of their creative determination to overcome barriers to progress.

How has the way you see/ understand yourself and your project shifted?

Motivated me to persevere, importance of clear vision, asking for support, I really want community in my life
I feel less alone
Tremendously, I have gone from (Maori/ Pasifika/ Polynesian) focus to Wahine Toa focused
That I should be able to share more openly about my goal and what I am trying to achieve so that I may make more connections.
I feel less pressure to get it right 100% of the time. I feel comforted that I'm not as alone as I thought I was in my struggles. I have more faith and trust that I'll get to where I want/ need to go.

How did this retreat serve you beyond the 'content/ service' part?

The ease and speed with which we created a safe, satisfying & effective community is inspiring.
Wairua of wahine toa coming together, sharing of indigenous and folk wisdom
I feel grounded, nourished, restored
Invigorating, inspiring, connecting, enlivening, energizing, belonging, acceptance, support, love.
This has helped me to feel connected to the essence of my wahine energy. It has provided me with mothers, while my mum has passed, it has provided me with community while much of the world lives in separation. This has also allowed me to also feel free to be creative.

What does a transformed housing system look like in Aotearoa (your ideal)?

Collective housing as an officially recognized 'third tier' between market and government housing, & streamlined pathways to support safe, healthy housing for all as a human right.
An ecosystem of different forms of housing, different ways of creating it. Housing as an essential part of human wellness, not a commodity.
Housing that is built sustainably. Sustainable for papatuanuku, our minds, our bodies, our bank accounts. A way of living together within spaces that nourish us and make us excited to be home.
One where people are co-creating housing/ spaces/ whares, are acting from a place of love and compassion. Spaces that make us feel nurtured. Spaces that encourage the feminine energy (which straight lines sever most of the time.)
Regulations will remove barriers to group & individual projects that lead to safe, warm & affordable housing for all. Current housing stock will be adapted to become eco-friendly & socially oriented.
Going back to the land building with natural materials not harmful to our environment/ papatuanuku. Warm, dry, energy efficient homes as close to nature as possible without any or as little impact to nature at all.

Calling upon our leaders - what are the three things you think they should do (to achieve the above)?

*Greatly disincentivise multiple home ownership, *create new investment pathways (ethical) & right retirement strategies, *change/ improve building code, *Support collective housing projects with finance and regulations.
*Create a fund to support those trialling and developing different models *Revise legislation to remove barriers to community-led development *Set aside appropriate pieces of land for community led housing within urban and rural areas.
*Change the building code - so new houses are tested for water tightness before being signed off, *Make container living/small houses legal/ more easily compliant, *Use state owned land to accommodate mobile/ tiny communities
*Promote resident led development, *improve building code (passive house), *fund more affordable housing
*Create a representative housing sector. *Stop treating property investment as a preferred investment. *Identify positive projects and give meaningful support.

What have you committed to going forward?

Finding a way to develop a co-housing community on our land. That must begin by tapping into feminine energy.
Stay in touch with other women & their projects, Be available for support and mentoring, Look after my energy and health
To work on my project for it to be a pilot project in Whangarei District. To stay connected and contribute to the bigger picture.
Stay connected, look for work in the sector, look at house modelling software. Report to council with recommendations
Proceeding with my intentions to create an Eco-village in rural northland

Join us!

We are just starting out and gaining momentum as a collective of Women Revolutionising Housing. Sign up below to be a part of this movement and this amazing network of women.

We have lots of ideas of what and how we can 1) empower and resource ourselves, 2) serve our communities with our housing & community project ideas, 3) revolutionise the whole system country-wide.

What's currently happening (or starting soon) within the network

Fortnightly Zoom networking circles to learn from others, network, get feedback and support for your own project
Facebook page, Messenger, and Whatsapp communication groups
Small working groups and regional groups are forming for the various ideas generated during the retreat-hui (see above)
Planning for the next retreat-hui
Savings Pool group for members
Network for those seeking to live in intentional community or better housing

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Thank you to the Sponsors

Their combined donation of $3500

helped make the event

accessible to 12 women

and provide participant and convener gifts

Robin Allison, founder of Earthsong in Ranui-Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand and author of the book Cohousing for Life
Vicki Spearing, of Bellbird Developments in Wakana Aotearoa New Zealand
Lale Ieremia, of PMC Consultants
Anonymous Sponsor

Common Ground

Whakatū/Nelson, Aotearoa/New Zealand│Director, Zola Rose │(027) 449-0422│kiaora@commonground.net.nz

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