I own my house and have been reflecting on what this means and its implications – reflections that have made me wonder whether my first sentence was the right way around, for in a sense my house owns me.
To a large extent, my house determines what I do and how I engage with the world. It keeps me in this locality and gives me a sense of security. It's my 'castle' that I rule and guard. Each household here is an autonomous castle. I have all the tools and gadgets I need, many of which are rarely used, as do my neighbours. Castles are also prisons.
The relationship between my house and myself is one of reciprocity. It's like the connection that we might experience with a land and nature if we perceive ourselves to be part of it. In describing my house in this way, I imbue it with life. I care for my house and try to ensure that life can thrive in the garden.
My house is too big for me, so I rent a room to a lodger, both to make proper use of the space and services, and to make an income. My lodger doesn't have the security that I have but the arrangement is mutually beneficial, since their need for accommodation is short-term and I choose to keep the rent low.
I'm now considering selling my house and taking time to find a place and way of living that correspond more closely with my hopes and values, and I hope that it will again be a family home. But selling feels like breaking an important connection.
I face a dilemma in selling, too. If, as is likely, the buyer needs a mortgage, the lender will create a large portion of the price. Creating money in this way drives economic growth, which drives consumption, exploitation, and climate change. It would also create a debt that would keep the buyer on an economic treadmill for many years. Meanwhile, I'd have to invest the money I receive as ethically as possible.
Could I set up a seller's loan, whereby the buyer would pay me in instalments instead of getting a mortgage? That way, new money wouldn't be created and I wouldn't have to make difficult investment choices. Would I be exploiting them more directly (although not as much as I might if I were renting it out)?
More generally, how can we practice Quaker testimony in relation to property? What could we do, individually and collectively, to create fairer, secure, and sustainable housing? We older Friends own a lot of property between us. Could we use some of our wealth to create housing communities?
Wendy Pattinson