I've pushed pause on the usual blog posts to make space to reflect on some questions over the next week or so. This post is Part IV of VI.
If you want to make a difference in the world, or feel like you're not sure what to do with your vocational life, you might like to follow along and answer these questions for yourself.
No pain, no gain, or so the saying goes.
But our energies and efforts are a finite resource.
So we have to wonder: It is even worth it?
It’s easy to say that making the world a better place is worthwhile. But it’s harder to say whether the current project is worth it.
So lets get back to property, just for a bit.
Does an attempt to do property differently, to buck the system, to rebuild property ownership, development, and design justify the risk and effort I’m prepared to put in?
tl;dr: Probably.
Here's why:
- There is a significant wealth gap in New Zealand. A large amount of the nation’s wealth is held in property. Inequality is a national issue, and the majority of us are on the right side of the property/wealth equation. A shift in how property works may be a piece of the solution to the problem of our national inequality.
- We have a massive mental health issue in New Zealand. Call it a crises, call it an epidemic, what it means is that more of us are affected by poor mental health. It might impact us personally, our family, or our workplace. Security of accommodation, a scarcity mindset and lack of social connection apply downward pressure on the health of people. All these things are tied to property.
- We are all seeking community. The most inclusive community is one that is not defined by demography, interest, or social status, but by geography. Neighbourhoods are the places where everyone can belong, because we all live somewhere. Therefore how we live together in our neighbourhoods is important. Not to mention addressing the issue that some people don’t have a place to call home at all.
- Communities are built around people who commit, who stay, who provide stability for those who come and go. They know the stories, they hold the vision, they remain when others leave. The more people like this we have, the stronger our communities will be. And the more support these people have on a day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year practical on-the-ground basis, the better. Staying requires a place to stay in that can adapt, change, sustain and grow.
- Our relationship with the planet needs to change. And that starts at home, with how we relate to the dirt we live on.
Alternative property ownership, development and design is a high-risk, high-reward project, to be sure. The only mitigation I’ve got it to start small, learn as we go, and move as fast as possible while taking others with me.