Bene Esse
A recipe for creating locally-owned cooperatives that deliver affordable, sustainable living that don't require outside funding to survive
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.
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With Bene Esse, "affordability" means "ability to afford," which is not always the same as developers use it.
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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.
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Bene Esse could be considered a franchise for an intentional community ecovillage that emphasizes wealth production and job creation for the surrounding community.
this is an ecovillage
An ecovillage is a community that aims to be sustainable, both socially, economically, culturally, and environmentally.
this is an intentional community
An intentional community is a group of people who live together and share a common purpose, values, or vision. They often work together to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared beliefs.
"What does this mean to me?"
landowners
"Multi-generational living within a sustainable and regenerative footprint that’s ‘easy to afford’, rather than merely ‘affordable’ which too frequently represents something financially unattainable to average citizens”
Aspiring
residents
Existing neighbors
"A Bene Esse community stimulates locally-owned services and household-scale businesses, adding more money to your local area and providing educational and vocational opportunities to those seeking a hand up”
“Earn extra money selling goods and services to your local neighbors, within a solution framework that retains fees that normally go to large corporations, allowing you (as makers and doers) to derive direct benefit by keeping your dollar local”
Self-employed neighbors
Municipal
Policymakers
“Bene Esse is an economic stimulus that rewards local residents to report income that often falls “under the table,” and pays for itself without necessitating funding from large institutional partners inclusive to the government, allowing policymakers to derive benefit from policy experiments without incurring risk to the municipality”
"Earn more revenue per acre and cutting costs while improving the land”
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"Curate a long-term relationship with a formal entity to help you define a trust to ensure your land is protected under a stewardship that aligns to your values"
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"Curate a long-term relationship with a sustaining business that may someday purchase your land, if you so choose"
HIGHLIGHTS
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Builds community-owned affordable housing and jobs.
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Starts as a virtual support network
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Pools resources to lower everyday costs
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Grows into locally controlled cooperative spaces
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Focuses on sustainable, resilient community growth
Video: About Bene Esse
Bene Esse Building Blocks
"I want to go home"
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It all begins here.
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Bene Esse helps people reclaim the power of their household to create sustainable economic solutions.
​With Bene Esse, the community rebalances mind, body and spiritual wellness in alignment with their local watershed and ecosystem.
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Identify, protect and extend value of natural and constructed water sources so the community are proper stewards of their resources and the land.
C3 is an intentional cultural strategy promotes the importance of creating a balance between community, culture and commerce, and the fuel for this engine is creativity.
The fabric of community is frequently weaved by women, and the kitchen table is their laboratory.
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Bene Esse merges health with food quality wealth.
Emerge and activate natural, innovative, creative elements for the purpose of learning, teaching, earning and rooting the creative energy that drives a sustainable economy.
Article: "the numbers"
How does this plan work? Let's look at the numbers
How to launch from zero
Save on Essentials Together
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Pool resources and save 20-30% on groceries, gas, and health services, reducing monthly costs for each family
Create Local Jobs and Income
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The virtual marketplace that’s built into the Bene Esse recipe (created by 214 Alpha) lets members earn from local products and services, generating income for families while supporting neighbors.
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Build a Shared Community Space
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With time, the group could secure land for affordable, cooperative housing and self-sustained farming, reducing rent and food costs.
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Keep Profits Local
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Instead of relying on outside investors, Bene Esse helps the community generate its own revenue, reinvesting in local growth and stability.
Contact us
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