Building Sustainable Communities

Building Sustainable CommunitiesGuy Dauncey

69,500,000 65,900,000 59,800,000

1. THE HOUSING CRISIS

2. SOLUTIONS

3. MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN

Who’s Here?

1. THE HOUSING CRISIS

Homeless

Couch-surfing

Living with the Parents

91% of homes priced over $1 million

June 2016

$$$$$$$$$

Excess money coming into the

market = Inflation

$$$$$$$$$


market = Inflation

Inheritances

$$$$$$$$$


market = Inflation

Inheritances

Foreign money

$$$$$$$$$


market = Inflation

Inheritances

Foreign money BankingDebt Money

Offshore tax evasion in Vancouver real estate

Ian Young, South China Morning Post

Restrict Foreign Ownership

2/3rds of Canadians.Parents own property.

They will inherit.

1/3rd of Canadians.Parents do not own property.

They will never inherit.


They will inherit.

1/3rd of Canadians.Parents do not own property.

They will never inherit.


They will inherit.

THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR CANADA,FOR JUSTICE, OR FOR DEMOCRACY

Gather a big pool of new revenue

and build lots of affordable housing

July 1st, 1962

AFFORDABLE HOMES

July 1st, 1962 July 1st, 2018?

Build LOTS of affordable housing10,000-20,000 units a year in BC

Seattle’s property tax levy has enabled the construction of 12,500 apartments with

below-market rents.

1. An affordable housing tax levy

2. Escalating property taxes on second homes not rented out.

2. Escalating taxes on properties left empty

80% public support

3. Limit AirBNBs to ‘in-house’

67% of Vancouver AirBNBs are for whole house or apartment

Vancouver AirBNBs

4. Escalating property transfer tax on top-end real estate sales

5. Speculation tax on properties flipped within a year

6. Tax on homes bought through offshore tax-havens

7. An Inheritance Tax on Estates above a certain value

Pour all the money into an

AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND RESERVE

Build 10,000-20,000 affordable new homes a year in BC

Pause for discussion

What Do YOU Think?0 = Very bad idea 10 = Great idea

Restrict foreign ownership0-10

Affordable Housing tax levy0-10

Tax on empty properties0-10

Limit AirBNBs to in-house0-10

New tax on top end properties 0-10Speculation + tax haven taxes 0-10Property inheritance tax

0-10Huge affordable housing program 0-10

2. SOLUTIONS

REBUILDING COMMUNITY

www.cityrepair.org

Guy Dauncey 2013 www.earthfuture.com Portland, Oregon www.CityRepair.org

With auto-dominated urban designs, people disconnect. Less sense of neighbourhood.

Less mutual support.

With social urban designs, people connect. More sense of neighbourhood.

More mutual support.

Christchurch, New ZealandUrban Village Design Contest

Planned Tiny Village in Sonoma, California

Quixote Village, Olympia, Washington

Opportunity Village, Eugene, Oregon





Dignity Village, Portland, Oregon

Planned Tiny Homes Village in Portland

www.hummingbirdmicrohomes.com

Privately fee simple, rented out


In 2013, Terrace BC faced a rental crisis with zero occupancy.

People were looking for more home rental options, as well as attainable home ownership.

10 minutes from downtown Terrace

Phase 1 includes homes and sites, common cabin with laundry. Limited number of pets permitted.

Future phases include additional homes and sites, a larger common cabin, BBQ, fire pit, communal garden, recreation area.

Bluegrass Meadows Micro Village


Pricing based on standard finishes, without upgrades:16 x 8’6″ micro home on wheels: $38,900′18 x 8’6″ micro home on wheels: $41,900′20 x 8’6″ micro home on wheels: $43,900′

Payment:20% deposit to reserve place in build schedule and begin design60% upon start of construction20% upon completion

How does this differ from a trailer park?

Dancing Rabbit is an ecovillage, sustainability demonstration project, and intentional community of about 70 people in

rural northeast Missouri.

Four cars, 70 people

Simply Home Community, Portland, Oregon

One big house, four tiny housesSeven people

Property owned by 2Everyone technically sharing the Big House

Creating a limited company to transfer ownership

Zoning officials in Portland, like so many other cities, are fascinated by tiny houses and exploring how it might work to include tiny houses in the housing mix. There are no easy answers, but they've been interested in engaging in conversations and exploration. When we approached the city of Portland the folks in the building department said that tiny houses on wheels weren't their jurisdiction because they're treated as vehicles.

The zoning folks said "Let me get this straight. You have 6 unrelated people who share a big house and some of them park their vehicles on the property?" And when we said, "Well, sort of..." They winked and said "Right?!" And we said “Yes, that's exactly what we're doing!" So with a wink and a nod, they helped us figure out that we are basically sharing a house and a yard.

www.tinyhomebuilders.com

Pause for discussion

3. MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN

Making it Happen – It’s a Veritable Maze

Step 1: Develop a

Clear Intention

Discuss needs and wants over a series of potlucks to see if you have enough in common to create a community.

Develop a set of Community Living Agreements and be willing to change them as the need arises.

There will be conflictsIt’s having the skills to resolve them that matters

Step 1: Develop a

Clear Intention

Social GoalsEnvironmental goals

Economic GoalsLand Ownership Goals

Leadership ProcessSocial Glue

Conflict Resolution

LAND OWNERSHIP OPTIONS

Private fee simplePrivate strata-titleCooperative strata

Non-profit ownershipCommunity Land Trust

Step 2: Develop a

Practical Vision

Urban affordable housingUrban tiny homes villageRural tiny homes village

Private tiny homeCohousing project

Ecovillage

Rural tiny homes ecovillage

Rural tiny homes ecovillage

Fine-tune the concept:

Range of ActivitiesEcology & Habitat

Water, SewageDesign Layout

FarmingEnergy

Cost

www.tinyhomealliance.ca

www.tinyhomealliance.ca

www.rewildhomes.com$25,000-$90,000+

Power?

Water?

Sewage?

GreyWater?

Mold?

Influential FriendsRespected Advisors

Show PrecedentBuild Your Story

Step 3: Build Private

Support

1. Find land

Step 4: Embark on the

Project

1. Find land

2. Talk to planners


Project

1. Find land

2. Talk to planners

3. Win their general concept support


Project

1. Find land

2. Talk to planners


4. Financial planning


Project

1. Find land

2. Talk to planners



5. Buy the land


Project

1. Find land

2. Talk to planners



6. Detailed Planning:Layout – water - sewage

5. Buy the land


Project

1. Find land

2. Talk to planners



6. Detailed Planning:Layout – water - sewage

7. Zoning and development permit approval

5. Buy the land


Project

www.americantinyhouseassociation.org

Model Zoning Rules, USA

5.5 acres, A-2 zoning allows variety of uses, including mobile home. Drilled well, septic area

Success is failure analyzed. Persistence matters.

www.journeytothefuture.ca

$25

Guy Dauncey 2013 www.earthfuture.com

Guy Dauncey

www.earthfuture.com