Why do we bother?

Because most modern housing
just isn’t good enough.

Because we got angry about
the way volume housebuilders
were riding roughshod over great
tracts of our towns and countryside:
erasing traces of the past; ignoring
established communities and
chucking up identikit Noddy houses
at the lowest possible cost.

Because we believe that housing
should be specific to its context;
that, done properly, development
should improve rather than destroy,
the biodiversity of the site.That it’s
not just about houses, but about
landscape, culture, community.
Because we simply didn’t believe
it when we were told that you can’t
build beautiful environmentally-
friendly housing at a price that
most people can afford.

Do we ever actually
get anything built?

It’s something of a surprise to us
too, but in the words of Bob the
Builder ‘Yes we DO’. Beautiful houses
that keep people cool in summer and
warm and winter and generally
happy and smiling all year round.
Places with beautiful outdoor spaces
with communal gardens and edible
landscapes and butterflies and
badgers and birds. Really we do.
Check out www.haboakus.co.uk
to see that we’re really quite
professional and grown up.

Can I make my
community a better
place to live?

Yes you can!
So right now you could…
Think of something you’d
be happy to lend or give away.
Or a skill you’d like to share.
Then log onto streetbank to
see if there’s anyone in your

neighbourhood who’d like to
take you up on it. If you fancy
operating at a rather grander
scale you could visit Transition
Network for information about
working as a community to
respond to the pressures of
climate change and generally
improve well-being and happiness.
Or you could check out the
Movement for Happiness and
add your weight to its mission
to replace individualism and

consumerism with community
spirit and contentment.
Or you could phone up somebody
you really like and invite them
over for a cup of tea.

Is there any point at all
in dropping us a line?

Well…..