Sustaining Homefullness: Building a Collective Future for Affordable, Regenerative Housing

This special Homefullness Show episode because it is a call for collaboration to keep this show alive and the Homefullness programmes to thrive. It's also about clarity on the transition of Homefullness as a separate entity to Common Ground.

Zola explains why Homefullness and Common Ground focus on “homefullness” rather than homelessness: Supporting affordable, collective, regenerative housing in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

She shares her background in community development, Habitat for Humanity, community land trusts, ecovillages, natural building, and her own experience struggling to secure quality housing as a migrant and later single mother amid intense rental competition.

She outlines the three current Homefullness projects—Women Revolutionising Housing (hui and peer network), the Homefullness Show (28 episodes on models like land trusts, cohousing, cooperatives, and policy/finance), and a proposed community-focused housing property development course. 

To date, this work has been done under Common Ground and has been self-funded since 2019.  Zola says she no longer wants to or is able to sustain this purpose-driven work on her own.

She invites supporters to join governance, sponsor/fund, contribute via Patreon, an upcoming PledgeMe campaign, by sharing stories.

There is a a survey for people to indicate their interest to contribute (see link below).

Zola estimates about $18,000 is needed to continue these programmes through June 2027; otherwise, she will pause the mission.

Zola will shift Common Ground to be re-branded as a business offering training-consulting-facilitation to improve collaboration, communication and conflict transformation for businesses, organisations, groups, and families.

Homefullness contribution survey: https://forms.gle/MkzBqaY9ieDFSC9s7

Document to see the details of the Homefullness programmes and budget: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h-cqTSL_xWwv5E5sByV_fEItBACl2LtylWC5Ztc2qsY/edit?usp=sharing

Homefullness is currently at this URL: www.commonground.net.nz

Patreon to be a paid member for as little as a cuppa coffee a month:

patreon.com/commonground_zola

Time stamps

00:49 Why Homefullness Matters

01:51 Housing Models That Inspired Me

04:40 From South Africa To NZ

05:53 Starting Common Ground

06:36 Single Mum Housing Struggle

07:58 Programs Under Homefullness

10:21 Costs And Patreon Reality

11:17 Call For Co Creators

13:41 Funding Plan And Budget

16:47 How You Can Help

18:04 If Funding Falls Short

18:19 Next Chapter For Common Ground

Robin Allison is the founder of Earthsong EcoNeighbourhood in West Auckland, a 32-home, medium-density cohousing community on 1.2 hectares. It is guided by permaculture ethics, eco-building, and social sustainability, with an educational commitment to share learning.

Zola and Robin discuss “homefullness” as individual autonomy plus shared belonging, intergenerational support, accountability, and personal and collective growth opportunities by working actively with diversity and conflict.

Robin describes Earthsong’s resilience work with the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), concluding urban and community resilience depends on cultivating and fostering wider caring and connected neighbourhood relationships.

A team at Earthsong is launching a film and workshop, “Neighbourliness for Resilience,” which is offered to groups wishing to generate discussion and solutions for their own local resilience. Be in touch with Robin to request a screening and workshop for your community or area.

Earthsong offers tours to groups (by demand) and the public (quarterly).  Robin offers seminars on cohousing governance and design, her latest offerings being in Japan.  Her book Cohousing for Life is available to get learnings from her experience of developing Earthsong and tips for aspiring intentional community developers (and groups).

Zola at Common Ground is offering a number of services to support councils, housing organisations and professionals, and leaders and groups aspiring to create an innovative housing projects.

Beyond housing, Zola offers services to those wishing to add more connection and harmony to their workgroups--finding and deepening the common ground amongst all members to work and live better together. 

Services include: 

Timestamps

01:19 Announcements and Updates

03:12 Meet Robin and Earthsong

03:41 Cohousing and Permaculture Ethics

06:54 Defining Homefullness

10:03 Diversity and Discomfort

12:31 Resilience Research Insights

15:20 Neighborliness Film and Workshops

17:19 Governance Skills for Society

25:38 Cohousing Training and Tours

31:26 Conflict Skills and Meetings

41:12 Personal Note and Future Cities

45:17 Closing Thanks and Vision

Links:

https://www.earthsong.org.nz/

Home page and newsletter sign up: https://www.commonground.net.nz/

Working together--how I support teams and leaders: https://www.commonground.net.nz/work-together

WRH: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-network

Property Devp course: https://www.commonground.net.nz/property-devp-course

Newsletters: https://www.commonground.net.nz/common-ground-newsletter

Connection Lab Playshops: https://www.commonground.net.nz/connection-labs

Homefullness Community: patreon.com/commonground_zola

CG FB: https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/

CG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nz

CG YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannel

April Theme: Belonging and the Neighbour Connection Challenge

In this episode, Zola introduces April’s theme of belonging through designing connection with neighbours, linking it to Common Ground’s focus on collective living and affordability via sharing and reciprocity, and permaculture’s people care ethic.

She’s excited to share that she’s making changes to the Homefullness Show to be more practical and announces a Patreon-based Homefullness community with monthly resources. 

This includes a “Neighbour Connection Challenge” which offers simple actions and a 7-day structure to build neighbourly ties, with even more resources available for Patreon members through the platform.

Zola shares her personal experiences of community inclusion and isolation across different places she's lived, highlights intentional community benefits at Riverside Community (New Zealand), and discusses lessons from Serenbe and Steve Nygren’s book Start In Your Own Backyard about designing walkable, nature-integrated, clustered neighbourhoods.

Check out www.commonground.net.nz for additional services for housing leaders and enthusiasts, housing-related events, and sign up for the newsletter and subscribe to the show to be alerted to upcoming content on compassionate communication for resolving neighbour tensions.

Timestamps

00:00 April Theme Belonging

00:33 Show Format And Homefullness Community on Patreon

02:14 Neighbour Connection Challenge

03:54 Simple Ways To Connect

05:40 Seven Day Challenge Plan

06:32 Personal Story Early Neighbourhoods

11:31 Riverside Community Support

14:33 South Africa Lessons Learned

16:02 Bad Neighbours Experiences

18:37 Serenbe And Better Design

24:20 Start In Your Backyard Actions

26:05 Free Kit And Patreon Journey

26:49 Let Them Roam Pledge

28:04 Services Events And Resources

Links: 

Reshaping Aotearoa’s Planning Laws: Regenerative Housing, Community Agency, and Structural Affordability

New Zealand’s housing crisis, like many countries around the world, stems from a system producing unaffordable homes, ecological harm, and isolated communities. 

Zola highlights this “rare opportunity” as the government rewrites the planning and natural resources bills replacing the RMA.

Zola warns of risks in these bills like growth-led development and reduced citizen participation that could create degenerative outcomes for rural and urban area development for generations to come.

Her call to action to listeners, wherever they are in the world, is to advocate to their local and central governments for policies and laws that explicitly enable regenerative land use, community-led housing models, and structural affordability, including:

Zola also advocates shifting land use from industrial animal agriculture toward plant-based systems and farmer transition pathways.

Timestamps

00:00 Housing System Crisis

00:25 Planning Reform Moment

01:50 Submission Overview

02:24 Why Replace RMA

03:18 Tiny Homes Legitimacy

04:53 Rural Cluster Housing

06:27 Circular Economy Villages

07:01 Affordability Tools

08:54 Regenerative Land Use Shift

10:46 Six Risks Two Futures

13:45 Call to Engage

14:42 Course and Network Updates

17:22 Housing Guides and Housing Networks to access

19:20 NZ Housing Survey and Patreon Support for the Show

Download her submission presentation on the reports and guides page of the Common Ground website. 

Sign up for the Common Ground newsletter and women are invited to join the Women Revolutionising Housing network from the website.

You can join her Patreon community to support her work and this podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola

To inquire about Zola's consulting services or to be a guest on the show, you can book a meeting here:

https://calendly.com/common_ground_zola_rose/quickcall

or here if you are out of the Australasian region:

https://calendly.com/common_ground_zola_rose/quick-call-int-l

https://www.commonground.net.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundAotearoaNZ/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonground-nz

https://www.youtube.com/@CommonGroundchannel

https://karenflett.com/

Zola interviews Lyndall Parris, founder and resident of Narara Ecovillage on Australia’s central, east coast (about an hour north of Sydney), about what it takes to create and lead an intentional ecovillage from vision to reality and what daily life feels like there.

The episode outlines Narara’s cooperative membership model (including the $30,000 buy-in), efforts toward affordability and intergenerational living through CLAN, and key sustainability infrastructure such as a smart grid and localized water systems.

Lyndall shares the long fundraising and development journey (including setbacks during the financial crisis of 2008, the 2012 tender to buy the property, and 2013 settlement), reflects on belonging, kindness, and ongoing conflict-resolution work.

Lyndall offers her free PDF book for those wanting to learn from their model and, of course, to visit their website.

00:52 Narara Ecovillage 101: Location, Land & Community Layout

02:07 How Membership Works: Co‑op Buy‑In, Responsibilities & Building Standards

03:18 Making It Affordable: CLAN, Shared Shares & Attracting Younger Families

05:16 Sustainability Systems: Smart Grid Energy + Water & Sewage Independence

06:28 Visit & Learn More: Website, Tours, Getting There from Sydney

07:33 Defining “Homefullness”

09:09 From Sheep Farm to “We Could Live Differently”

11:28 Courage to Build an Ecovillage: One Step at a Time (The Elephant Story)

13:54 Finding the Land + The Great Financial Crisis Setback (2008–2012)

16:43 Keeping the Dream Alive: Open Days, Newsletters & Founder Stamina

20:43 Life as a Resident: Kindness, Events, Healthier Living & Nature Connection

26:07 Not Utopia: Governance, Conflict Resolution & Personal Growth Ripples

29:39 Founder Fuel: “What’s In It for Me?” Avoiding Burnout + Financing Returns

31:33 From Setbacks to Solidarity: Building Trust to Fund the Land Purchase

33:20 Women Revolutionizing Housing Network: Monthly Meetups & How to Join

34:24 The $5M Tender Strategy: Pledges, Co-op Setup, and 24 ‘Pioneers’

37:53 2012–2013: Settlement, Early Works, and Recruiting a Project Director

39:00 Paying the Professionals: Commercial Rates, Deferred Fees, and Success-Based Compensation

40:50 Member-Funded Infrastructure: Installments, Bridging Loans, and Keeping Banks Out

43:01 Co-op Membership & Shares: The $30k Buy-In, Assets, and Creative Affordability

44:38 Community-Building Practices: Weekly Zooms, Alliances, and Staying Connected

46:15 The Ecovillage Mission: Economic, Environmental, and Social ‘Three-Legged Stool’

50:21 Charitable Arm & Tax-Deductible Giving: The Eco Living Network Explained

52:49 Sharing the Model: Website Resources, Free PDF Book, and ‘Joy of Purpose’ Workshop

55:20 Inspiration & Closing Reflections: Spiritual Practices, Nature, and Next Steps

Links:

https://youtu.be/x_RYTEx1Cxk

https://nararaecovillage.com/

https://nararaecovillage.com/2022/12/lyndall-and-dave/

https://www.commonground.net.nz/

In this episode, host Zola Rose interviews Zola Ndimande, a Zulu woman from KwaZulu Natal South Africa about her return to her ancestral land to build her own home using traditional earth building methods, and integrating into that community-focused way of living in relationship with people and relationship with the elements.

The discussion covers a range of topics such as traditional housing construction methods, indigenous community living, tribal land stewardship and right to occupy vs ownership, tribal authority vs regulatory governance, traditional ceremonies for returning to occupy land, and the balance between modern and indigenous ways of building and living.

Zola provides insights into the communal support systems prevalent in Zulu communities, the challenges of integrating modern aspirations with traditional values, and the importance of maintaining cultural rituals and land stewardship. 

The conversation also touches on the parallels between Zulu and Maori cultures, highlighting the universal human need for community and connection to land.

Zola Rose refers to another episode (May 2025) where she interviews her daughter Oriah about growing up, learning, and creating a home in a similar way when they lived near a Zulu community in KwaZulu Natal South Africa.

02:18 Land Rights and Ancestral Connections

03:36 Community and Tribal Land Systems

10:07 Ceremonies and Traditions in Zululand

17:44 Building with Natural Materials

21:12 Community-Based Tourism and Integration

30:48 Learning the Basics of Cob Building

31:38 Building a Home While Pregnant

32:06 Construction Timeline and Techniques

33:35 Inspiration to Build My Own House

35:29 Exploring the Land and Community

37:07 Traditional vs. Modern Building Materials

39:01 The Importance of Community Support

41:43 Challenges and Legislation in Building

43:16 Sustainable Living Practices

57:42 Cultural Reflections and Language

Your reflections are welcome--we'd love to hear from you.  Email to [email protected]

Zola Rose interviews Magda Garbarczyk from Fine Line Architecture about the 'Straw Lines' project, a modular housing system using low carbon materials like straw and timber to address New Zealand's housing crisis, climate change, unhealthy and expensive building materials, and waste from the agricultural sector.

The project aims to reconnect traditional building methods with modern practices, promote community involvement, and reduce environmental impact.

Magda, alongside collaborator Min Hall, discusses their design competition entry focused on carbon-negative construction that uses locally sourced materials and prefabricated straw panels, making housing construction faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.

Furthermore, they explore the potential for community-led and neighbourhood-scale building initiatives to enhance affordability and sustainability.

Links: 

https://www.finelinearchitecture.co.nz/projects/strawlines

https://www.commonground.net.nz/

https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/

00:49 The Relevance of Sustainable Building Materials

02:10 Magda Gik's Architectural Journey

03:09 Project Collaboration and Research

06:26 Historical Context of Building Traditions in Aotearoa

07:44 Straw Lines: Design and Implementation

10:24 Research and Development of Prefabricated Panels

17:57 Community Involvement and Future Vision

21:52 Q&A Session: Addressing Audience Queries

Host Zola Rose interviews Trystan and Stephanie from the Peterborough Housing Cooperative to discuss this housing model that is a rarity in Aotearoa NZ (a more common model in Europe).

They explore how the cooperative structure, owned by a Trust, keeps rents affordable and fosters a close-knit community of families, young professionals, and the elderly.

They talk about the cooperative's guiding principles and their commitment to maintaining affordability for future generations by capping rents and resale prices.

The episode also details the process of joining the cooperative, the benefits of living in such a community, and the challenges that other groups will face if trying to start their own cooperative housing--challenges due to the dominant systems that make land expensive and finance hard to obtain.

They speak about their conflict resolution process that is built into the guiding document but that people who are accepted to be members already have a willingness to be cooperative.

Because of the complexity, they do offer mentorship and guidance for groups wishing to create their own cohousing or cooperative housing.

Zola shares updates on the Women Revolutionising Housing hui and network, how listeners can support the podcast through the Homefullness Patreon community, and her Earth Fellows fellowship for regenerative housing.

Zola thanks the show sponsor, Home Foundation.  https://homefoundation.org.nz/

To learn about the legal routes to unlock cooperative housing in Aotearoa NZ, check out the Homefullness episode of 28 March 2025 and the Common Ground YouTube channel.

Links mentioned in the show: 

https://peterborough.nz/

https://www.commonground.net.nz/

https://thehousinginnovationsociety.com/

https://www.earthsong.org.nz/

https://www.cohousingco.com/charles-durrett

09:39 Living in Peterborough Housing Cooperative

16:55 Challenges and Benefits of Cooperative Living

34:31 Future Projects and Community Expansion

48:53 Final Thoughts and Invitation to Visit

Show host Zola shares her personal experience with housing instability through a creative reading of her unpublished article titled 'Homefullness: Recipes for Baking, Belonging, Connection, and Resilience into Housing Futures.'

Zola details her struggles with feelings of homelessness due to the challenge of finding available, affordable accommodation and precarious short-term house and room rentals, despite her professional background and stable income. 

She highlights the systemic issues in housing policies and market forces that creates housing insecurity for many working people in our society as well as for single mothers and older women.

She explores how collective housing can offer homefullness but that these models are in short supply due to many factors such as inhospitable legislation, lack of developer interest, and unavailable bank lending or funding. 

Zola offers practical 'recipes' for creating more connected and resilient communities for people "in situ" or creating from scratch.

The episode serves as both a personal testimony and a call to action for systemic change in housing development, funding, and legislation.

Timestamps:

00:43 Zola’s Personal Story: A Recipe for Homelessness

03:45 Her Struggles with Housing Instability

17:38 The Broken Housing System

25:10 Collective Housing Solutions

30:22 Homefullness Recipes for Transformation: In Situ and Collective Housing

38:19 Call to Action: Creating Homefullness—what you can do no matter where or who you are.

Show Links:

Common Ground website &  newsletter sign up:https://www.commonground.net.nz/

Become part of the Homefullness Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola

The article and companion document of resources is not yet ready for release.  Sign up to the Common Ground newsletter to get alerted when I’ve made this available.

In this episode Zola interviews Steven Liaros to discuss the importance and the roadmap to create a network of Circular Economy Villages (CEV).

These villages aim to integrate private housing development with public infrastructure to alleviate stress on local governments and create sustainable, regenerative rural and peri-urban communities.

Steven delves into the critical barriers that traditional eco-village projects face, such as local area planning policies, financing, and necessary infrastructure.

The CEV model addresses these issues by incorporating principles of the circular economy, emphasizing reduced waste and enhanced efficiency in energy and water usage, and fostering climate resilience.

The episode highlights the benefits of this model for rural areas and its role in enabling local governments to collaborate efficiently.

The discussion also covers the strategic planning and financial strategies that are key to making these villages a reality.

And, Steven envisions it being a really great place to live where people know their neighbours and share resources and activities and where folks who are a bit nomadic yet with a desire for belonging can find a community within a CEV.

05:36 Vision of Circular Economy Villages

06:32 Daily Life in a Circular Economy Village

10:20 Community Governance and Infrastructure

14:15 Planning and Financing Challenges

17:22 Engaging Local Governments and Investors

25:31 Personal Journey and Motivation

51:24 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Find two explanatory videos on the CEV on Steven's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@steven_liaros?si=_Av-PyiCkOSA2NbJ

Circular Economy Village website: https://www.cevco.life/

Common Ground: https://www.commonground.net.nz/

Women Revolutionising Housing: https://www.commonground.net.nz/women-revolutionising-housing-hui-2025

Join the Homefullness Community: https://www.patreon.com/commonground_zola