Housing Crisis Unlocked: The Legal Path to Affordable, Cooperative Living
Peterborough Housing Cooperative, Christchurch Aotearoa
I'm thrilled to share insights from a recent interview I had on the Homefullness Show with the inspiring Sophie, a PhD graduate in law specializing in housing affordability through collective and cooperative housing. She wants to unlock the housing crisis to create more affordable housing where residents have a great sense of community, agency, and belongings and so shares about the legislative changes needed to make this happen.
Living in inferior housing in New Zealand prompts PhD research to address this
Sophie brings an international perspective to the table, having lived in Paris, Germany, and Sweden. Growing up in Paris, she experienced urban living but always longed for more nature and a sense of community. This led her to pursue studies in law in Germany and later move to Sweden, where she discovered the benefits of affordable, council-run student housing. Her diverse housing experiences, including living in inferior housing conditions in New Zealand, inspired her to dive into cooperative housing models and explore how they can address New Zealand’s housing challenges.
The Numerous Benefits of Collective Housing
Sophie and I first crossed paths as members of the Housing Innovation Society Committee. Her research focuses on the right to housing and the potential of collective housing to make home ownership more accessible and sustainable. During our conversation, Sophie shared that cooperative housing is often misunderstood and mistakenly associated with communes. However, her findings underline its potential to offer stability, affordability, and community, challenging the traditional private home ownership model.
The Private Homeownership Trap and Affordable Alternatives
One of the critical findings from Sophie’s research is the importance of narrative. The prevailing New Zealand discourse glorifies private home ownership without acknowledging the possibilities that collective housing models offer. Sophie argues that regulation rather than deregulation could pave the way for alternative models, giving smaller actors a chance to contribute innovative housing solutions.
The Importance of Getting the Right to Housing into Legislation in NZ
For NZ to see any real change in shifting the housing crisis to one where everyone has a decent, stable, and affordable place to live, it is vitally important that the right to housing be written into domestic law. This would establish a strong foundation for future policies. According to Sophie, legislative support is crucial for cooperative housing to thrive as banks will not lend to these projects without the legal status. She suggests a need for specific legal structures or amendments to existing regulations, such as the unit title structure, to provide legal certainty and legitimacy to cooperative housing.
Aspirations for More Community-Focused Living
Sophie currently lives in a semi-detached house with her family, but she dreams of a more connected and collaborative living arrangement. Inspired by models like the Peterborough cooperative housing, she hopes for a future where New Zealand embraces housing models that foster community interaction, shared resources, and sustainable living.
Call to Action
Sophie’s insights highlight the urgent need for a shift in how we view housing in New Zealand. By advocating for cooperative models, we can work towards a more sustainable, inclusive, and affordable future for everyone.
Subscribe to the Homefullness Show on your preferred podcast app and also at the Common Ground YouTube channel for more discussions and interviews about sustainable, affordable, and innovative housing models . Let’s work together to unlock the potential of cooperative housing and create homefullness for all.