Deep Green Housing Benefits

The project’s deep green building resources will improve the availability of quality eco-housing while changing the business of building so that it emphasizes a supply chain that is good for people and the planet. The development of a land partnership model can provide an important strategy in the quest for more affordable, sustainable, housing options in urban and rural areas.

Better for households

An Eco Healthy Home is durable, strong, low maintenance, and designed to protect occupant safety and comfort in extreme weather and service outages. It’s self-drying building envelope and passive and active ventilation is designed to ensure a long life with minimal maintenance and enduring beauty for a service life of 100 years plus. Additional emphasis on simple technologies that can be easily and locally repaired further reduces repair related surprises and expense. The non-toxic building materials; optimum air quality; natural light; quiet environment; minimal electro-pollution; and moisture management will support occupant well being. Designing for household energy and water security helps occupants weather economic and ecological volatility that affect energy prices and groundwater availability.

Better for the environment

An Eco Healthy Home will harvest its own water, light energy and heat from nature and process its own wastewater. This will conserve groundwater and reduce the environmental impacts of large scale grid energy and sewage disposal. A durable, low-maintenance, non-toxic home reduces waste over its service life and prevents chemically laden building materials from over-burdening landfills. By facilitating construction of Eco Healthy Homes, we can protect our climate and reduce the pollution of our air, soil, and water. By enabling land partnerships we can provide the framework for households that support more sustainable land and resource use.

Better for local economies

Supporting local labour and local suppliers helps to create stable, healthy jobs close to home and rebuild economies that serve life. Hometown jobs support happier, healthier communities by keeping families together, freeing up commuting time for workers, and keeping money in the community to support other local businesses. Locally spent dollars have an economic multiplier effect. Community wealth building research shows that compared to large companies, small to medium sized local businesses provide quality working and manufacturing standards, give more to charity, and generate more local wealth while increasing the tax base that supports neighbourhood schools and services.

Better for neighbourhoods

Land sharing can make land more affordable which can help renters become homeowners. Studies show that homeowners are more stable residents than renters and that stable residents have better health and educational achievement. Homeowners report greater levels of contentment and they are more likely to know and interact with their neighbours. An increasing number of people are living alone than ever before. Land sharing can bring people out of isolation and help rebuild connected communities. This increases the likelihood of social connectivity and opportunities for collaboration. Connectivity can also increase mental and physical health as well as household resilience (the readiness to adapt to change/disruption). This reduces strain on government budgets  and that’s good for all of us.(ref)

Better for communities

The stable residency of home ownership translates to lower crime rates and preservation of property values. Attainable and stable housing is important for local businesses requiring long term staff. By saving the time, energy and money otherwise spent on frequent moves in the unpredictable private rental market, stable residents have more time and money to invest in their families, their careers, and their communities.  (ref)

Also see- Benefits of Home Ownership Report

Land Sharing Review and summary of findings

*For references re land partnerships related research: