Well hello,
I've set up this blog to document our progress in creating a housing co-op. Whatever the outcome of the project I thought it would be good to have something to look back on... something from when we were young and naive and unrestrained by mortgages, damp walls and soul-destroying jobs. But actually none of that is going to happen because everything works out in the end, and we lead charmed lives.
In Summer 2010 we verbalised a plan that seemed to have been rattling around, unspoken, for a few years: As a tight group of friends, we discussed the possibility of living together after university. This fairly simple suggestion soon ballooned into further plans to buy a ramshackle shack and do it up ourselves, and further still to set it up as a housing co-operative. Most people who were introduced to the plan caught the bug and we've all spent many hours planning our future home together. As the plans move more into the territory of the possible, the project has become more serious with some of us looking into what kind properties are available and others visiting other housing co-operatives for tips and inspiration.
Although the project started mainly as a way for us to live together in the way we want, we have found that it could provide endless opportunities for us to pursue our interests and passions. Those interested are mostly 'creative', whether in conventional ways such as art, dance and creative writing, or simply in an unorthadox way of thinking and living. We've discussed setting up studios, workshops, events spaces and therapy rooms among other things.
The benefits of living as a housing co-op are many, but crucially this taking collective control removes us (here comes the ranting bit) from the necessity to rely on exploitative housing options and therefore have some hand in preventing the capitalist cycle. In a more positive light, it also allows us to live exactly how we want with no influence from landlords or terrifying property prices. We are by no means entirely driven by an overwhelming desire for drastic social change, and all have different opinions on the matter, our views ranging widely.
As we all grew up partly in, outside and around Bristol, and have consequently fallen, hard, for the city, it is our aim to set up home there. Bristol is the perfect place to explore this dream, as it houses many like-minded projects and people.
Well, there we something of an introduction to our little project, I'll update with details of visits, ideas and information soon,
A
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