SUN Villages: A Living System for Regenerative Housing and Belonging

Reimagining affordable living and housing through cooperation, regeneration, and a return to the commons.

“The greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens.”
— Bill Mollison (co-originator of the permaculture concept)

Photo provided by Stina Kerans - image of SUN Villages members clearing the demolition site for the project, as Stina says “not because we have to, but because coming together with purpose is a wonderful 'glue' that binds people.”

In my recent article on the deeper systems shaping Australia’s housing crisis, I explored why we need more than quick fixes—we need entirely new models of living and belonging. This is where the “collective commons” mindset comes in to create and incentivise models that redistribute the empowerment and benefits back to the people— for the health and vitality of all.

SUN Villages provides us with such a model— a blueprint which is replicable at scale, providing an inspiring vision with potential to revolutionise how we think about housing and to help us reimagine what else might be possible when we dare to dream bigger.

Even as governments roll out new planning codes and market incentives, more people are awakening to a simple truth: we don’t just need more houses—we need places of purpose. Places of belonging and connection that honour the land, serve the commons, and truly feel like home to everyone.

The SUN Villages model offers this proverbial third leg to the stool — a regenerative, cooperative housing framework grounded in permaculture design principles and the wisdom of the commons. It’s not utopian. It’s practical, rooted, and deeply human. And in a time when our conventional housing systems are faltering, it provides something we urgently need: a grounded, living blueprint to reimagine how we live, work and play together.

A Broken System Needs a New Blueprint

For years, the dominant logic of housing in Australia has been shaped by two forces: government policy and private developers. But this model is cracking under its own weight. Medium-density housing isn’t getting built because it simply isn’t financially viable. Construction costs are soaring, while the market can only bear so much. As a result, new housing supply is heavily skewed toward the luxury end or stuck in bureaucratic limbo.

Government has taken steps—introducing new mid-rise housing codes, launching a Housing Delivery Authority, and fast-tracking large developments. But as Property Collectives highlighted, you can’t solve a structural viability issue just by loosening planning rules.

A third path is one that sees housing not merely as a product, but as a living system embedded in community, ecology, and care.

Fortunately, we don’t need to start from scratch. SUN Villages offer a regenerative model that meets these challenges head-on.

“Cohousing can be understood as a wealth-creation strategy that allows people to develop affordable housing enriched with an abundance of social capital.”

— Charles Durrett, The Senior Cohousing Handbook

So, what are SUN Villages?

SUN stands for ‘Synergistically United Network’ of Villages — a living systems approach to housing that integrates land, people, and purpose. Rooted in the ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share, SUN Villages offers far more than relative affordable housing.

The vision is having a network of regenerative micro-communities designed to be socially, economically, and ecologically viable and united by the SUN Villages financial formula that allows folks to live in one village yet contribute in as many other villages as their funds allow and thus be able to eventually fully off-set their 99-year lease fee.

🌱 Cooperative ownership & governance – Residents are custodians and stewards, not just tenants or isolated owners.

🌱 Diverse, inclusive housing types – Intergenerational living is central.

🌱 Regenerative infrastructure – Off-grid or hybrid energy systems, water harvesting, food forests, composting, shared tools, carpools, and so much more.

🌱 Local enterprise & mutual support – Micro-economies are encouraged: shared workshops, markets, home-based services.

🌱 Universal design with place-based soul – Architecture reflects land, patterns, and people.

“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”
— Bill Mollison (co-originator of the permaculture concept)

Why are SUN Villages a Viable Solution?

SUN Villages aren’t just a beautiful idea— they're a strategic answer to the real challenges of affordability, social fragmentation, and ecological breakdown, yet they are a top-of-the-market product.

Here’s how SUN Villages bring this vision to life:

• They close the viability gap – Pooled resources, shared equity, and absence of developer margins and minimal middlemen reduce costs.

• They fit where other models don’t – Ideal for regional regions, urban infill, or rural areas needing renewal.

• They invite collaboration – Built on partnerships with anyone or any organisation that is serious about lateral solutions: councils, housing providers, investors, and every-day people.

• They align with existing policy – Supporting goals for affordability, resilience, social wellbeing, and sustainability.

“If we can build sustainable settlements for ourselves, then we can also build them for others... and maybe, just maybe, regenerate a whole culture.”
— David Holmgren (co-originator of the permaculture concept)

Conclusion: Seeds for Regeneration

SUN Villages pick up where the current system leaves off. Where conventional housing policy hits a wall, this model extends an invitation—toward something more alive, collaborative, and regenerative. If you’ve read the Commons Revolution article, you’ll see this is the kind of blueprint we urgently need and the great news is that there are grassroots communities and coops working towards this now.

The housing crisis is a symptom of a deeper disconnection — from nature, from each other, and from the power to shape the places we call home. SUN Villages offers a way to re-pattern that story. Not through grand utopian dreams, but through local, grounded, collaborative action.

We already have the tools. We have the land. We have people with heart, skill, and vision. What we need now is courage — the courage to step into new stories, to forge catalytic partnerships, and to co-create villages that honour people, planet, and purpose.

SUN Villages offer more than housing; they offer a path home — to greater connection, to deeper belonging, and to the future we know is possible. Together.

“Together we can build a better world, one village at a time.”

— Stina Kerans, Visionary behind SUN Villages

So, what’s next…

There are currently two leases available in the demonstration project in Queanbeyan under development and this project is specifically looking for people considering downsizing— if this resonates for you, please connect by emailing support@sunvillages.com.au.

You can find a copy of Stina Keran’s book ‘Can't Buy Property? A New and Revolutionary Model of Housing’ https://sunvillages.com.au/the-book/ to learn more about her story, what drives her and how the SUN Villages model came to be.

If you’re a policymaker, landholder, funder, or community group interested in expanding the SUN Villages model— please connect by emailing support@sunvillages.com.au. Or register for the newsletter. Stina also offers Zoom calls available on Tuesdays for anyone interested in learning more.

Let’s weave and co-create the new story of future housing, together!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

— Helen Keller (author, advocate and educator)

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this exploration - and you have further ideas on collaborative and cooperative sustainable housing models, let’s chat. And if you’re part of a housing or community group or project, I’d love to hear your experiences!