Bene Esse

Bene Esse is a small-scale, self-sustaining housing model that puts affordability in the hands of the people who live there—without relying on big developers, outside investors, or government funding. With Bene Esse, "affordability" means "ability to afford," which is not always the same as developers use it. Working with existing landowners, Bene Esse installs ‘Pods’—small clusters of 5–7 homes using portable infrastructure to keep start-up costs low. Once a Bene Esse Pod is established, it becomes a local economic engine, funding essential services through cooperative decision-making. These self-supporting Pods may someday negotiate with the land owner to purchase the property, negotiate with the land owner to create a trust, and/or move the Pod to a more suitable location if the opportunity arises. Bene Esse could be considered a franchise for an intentional community ecovillage that emphasizes wealth production and job creation for the surrounding community.