We’re working with Regen Chch and CCC to propose a small village of tiny houses.

Update: Read the latest state of this village proposal here

Village sketch

This would allow us to showcase a sustainable urban community while utilising land not fit for traditional builds. Our proposal aims to

  • Nurture the land and provide security to the neighbouring communities
  • Provide a social hub for events and community driven initiatives
  • Engage with council to provide a better understanding of Tiny Houses
  • Create a framework to help with future Tiny House villages

Some of us from the community have formed a working group, meeting occasionally to progress this proposal. While nothing is likely to be confirmed until 2019, we have had many positive discussions with Regen and CCC. Some of the considerations we’re currently working through include:

The location. We’re working with CCC to determine the viability of certain sites, taking into consideration their existing infrastructure (access ways, waste water, electricity, etc). We’re also very aware of finding a neighbourhood that would be happy to have us there, and we intend to engage with the public as much as possible to provide a better understanding of our proposal and the benefits.

Legalities, formalities, other technicalities. As you may know, we’ve been working closely with CCC recently to put together a better shared understanding of where tiny houses fit within the legislations (building code, district plans etc) - this CCC page has some good information. For the village we will also need to work out things like rates, what infrastructure we may have to install, how we can leave the land in the same or better state than we started, and how much all of this will cost.

The governance. There will likely be a governing body that ensure the village is running smoothly, and takes care of people joining and leaving the village. This includes managing our relationship with the Council, neighbouring communities, within the village, and resolving any disputes that may arise.

If you’d like to follow the progress of our proposal, sign up to our email list. If you’re interested in being involved in this process, please contact us!