Common Roots: Regenerative Affordable Housing
Common Roots offers a fascinating model of environmental justice.
According to Common Roots founder Julie Wilson, “We need to create a regenerative economy, and that can only happen if the economy is rooted in people and specific places.”
Common Roots, in Meadville Pennsylvania, started as an Allegheny College student project. The project: buy and revitalize one big old home and make it livable for people with low income, to give them a path to ownership. That was in 2018.
The effort required was considerable. “We thought we had a grant,” said Julie Wilson. “But it fell through. We stayed with it and raised $50,000 from community members in two weeks.” It took four years, volunteers and professionals working side-by-side, and a grant for $125,000 to transform that building into four livable homes.
The first Common Roots project in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Thanks to a community-scale mission, that grant also included funds to purchase another unloved property from the Meadville Redevelopment Authority.
Now we are talking about a score or so of unloved structures becoming quality homes, most with an accompanying story of human restoration.
Along the way a Cooperative was formed. Renters become members. They increase the value of the overall enterprise and build “rental equity.”
Common Roots also rehabilitates houses for sale to lower income buyers who “share equity.” The land remains within the Common Roots land trust, formed in 2022. Upon resale, today’s owners ensure that the housing will again be affordable for future lower income renters and buyers.
In March of 2024, Common Roots formally launched Sturdy Boots, a public-benefit construction company that complements its rental and home ownership mission.
A dynamic balance is maintained between acquiring properties, rehabilitating them, and managing them. Several projects are coordinated efforts with the Meadville Housing Authority. Property taxes are paid which reflects the increased value of the properties. Thus the City directly benefits.
Environmental sustainability is a Common Roots value. That first house is next to a community garden. Buildings are renovated rather than demolished. Common walls naturally save energy compared to single-family structures. Roofs are fitted with solar. The Chris Bell’s Furniture Closet (named after an early Common Roots investor) provides gently used furniture.
Yes, grant money is needed to keep Common Roots growing. The case is strong. Nearly 65 percent of Meadville’s residents are renters, often paying 30 percent of their income to rent, perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Poverty strains social services. Common Roots is forging a better way.
Julie Wilson wakes up mornings thinking, “How can I get as much land as possible into the community land trust? How can we return control of the land and housing to our community, and give people the capacity to stabilize themselves?” She asserts, “The next economy will come from repairing the social fabric, building relationships, and doing the hard work together.”
This article is adapted from Jon Biemer’s book, Our Journey to Sustainability: How Everyday Heroes Make a Difference. Jon is registered as a professional Mechanical Engineer in the state of California and a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. He is also the author of Our Environmental Handprints: Recover the Land, Reverse Global Warming, Reclaim the Future. Both books can be purchased from on-line booksellers. His website is www.jonbiemer.com.
