The kind of person who helps people

Someone once said to a friend of mine, “I’m just not the kind of person who helps people.” Which astounded me. Because either a) that’s not particularly endearing and b) why would you admit that?

Which begs the question: What kind of person are you? And, if you’re the kind of person who helps people, how would you want to help change the property system?

If you own a house, you could:

• Buy it with other people so that you can pay down your debt faster.

• Provide cheap rent to flatmates/boarders to help them save a deposit.

• Renovate your house with more (smaller) bedrooms so that you can have more people paying less rent.

• Stay put, reduce the speculative market and connect with the community.

Local capital

A property market that shuts out most people, and delivers poor quality living environments for many isn’t necessarily evidence that capitalism doesn’t work.

The issue is scale. Distance. Connection. It turns out, location matters.

When the owners live in another community from where their wealth is located, they’re less likely to care about the social capital that comes about from being seen to be generous in their community. They become more focused on maximising returns on their wealth.

The most obvious example of this is publicly listed companies. Most shareholders are less concerned about the salary of the lowest paid staff member than they are on their quarterly returns and capital gains.

An owner who is part of the same community they use to generate the return on their capital (not much happens without people!), they are more inclined to share their gains with the community, Because, lets face it, who doesn’t want to be known as a generous, helpful person.

There’s two pieces to this picture: Proximity, and presence. The owner, the capital holder, needs to be close to their community, and have relationships with the people in their community in order to be generous, and be seen to be generous.

Have we amplified the commodification of property simply by seeking upward mobility and individualism?

Nothing but a carrot

We all have something to offer. We can all contribute something.

And we all want to.

Having nothing isn't just a practical survival issue. When you often receive from others, and rarely have an opportunity to give, it's hard to feel like you have anything to offer. And it's hard to see how your presence and time matters.

The solution? Or at least one solution? How about a community garden.

For those without many options, community gardens can be a space where they can contribute their time and there presence, and see meaningful change after even half an hour of work.

And more that this, there is the opportunity for generosity. To share the fruit of your labour with others.

To give a carrot to a toddler. An act of hospitality and generosity so simple, yet potentially so restorative.

Dignity maintained. Mana enhanced. With nothing but a carrot.