Lucy SargissonSchool of Politics and International RelationsUniversity of Nottingham

Property and Intentional Communities

Intentional Communities

• Property: » Homes, land, houses, estate» Possessions» Money, economy, system of exchange» Relationships to other people» Relationship to work

Mixed ownership

Combination of individual and collective ownership

Found in

• Ecovillages

• Co-Housing Groups

Mixed Ownership

Mixture: collective and individual ownership

Otamatea EcoVillage

Otamatea EcoVillage

Findhorn Foundation

‘Living in community is how the people at Findhorn express their commitment to a daily life that actively brings spiritual and sustainable values into practice.

Taking part in the community means meditating together, working together, growing and preparing food together, welcoming guests together, building houses together and well celebrating with song and dance together. All these aspects of life and more are food for the continued growth of consciousness towards a peaceful and sustainable life.’

(http://www.findhorn.info/)

Collective Ownership

Wholly owned by TrustsCo-operatives

Found inCommunesReligious CommunitiesHousing Co-ops

Collective ownership:

Graham Downs

Community/Renaissance

Co-operatives:

Chippenham Community

Co-operatives

You are both tenant and landlord, but you own the thing without actually owning it.

In the primary rules of our co-op (which are registered, with The Friendly Society) you can’t sell a co-op property for personal profit. So I can’t just sell my share of The Mill. We, as a collective, could sell The Mill, but we’d have to reinvest the money from the sale in something used for similar purposes – common good. We’re more guardians than owners; we’re guardians of the co-operative, not owners. (Paul, People In Common, 1.10.98)

Collectively owned

Community owns everything

Bodhinyanarama Buddhist Monastery

Collectively Owned

Community owns the land and houses

Riverside

Community

(income pooling)

Collectively Owned

Centrepoint

Community

Community owns everything

Mixed ownership

EarthSong Co-Housing

Neighbourhood