Hands-on School Houston

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Forming
  • Home-sharing
  • Suburban

Founding year

  • 2023

What we do

Join Hands-on School Houston as (1) volunteer, (2) mentor, and/or (3) future resident.
501c3 nonprofit Young Homeowners League. Social enterprise AEC Green Development. Our mission is to help people become homeowners and live in mutual help communities.
When we have at least 3 future residents forming a group to co-own a single family home, we will help them to form co-ownership agreement, to buy existing home or build new home.
When we have at least 3 future residents forming a group to each own a single family home in the same land parcel, we will help them buy the land, divide into separate lots, so that each of them can buy the lot to build a home with one-time-close construction loan, or buy the home after it is built. Costs start from $30k for the lot and $120k for a 1000 sqft single family home.
We already have control of 4 acres in the city of Houston but we are waiting for enough people to join to get started. We prefer not speculative build as it increases costs.
We do not have funding to subsidize costs. When we have investment or funding we will only use it to acquire more land so that lower cost land is available to build lower cost homes. You are welcome to apply for government subsidy like down payment assistance. Without government subsidy, there are 0 down mortgages and FHA mortgage with 3.5% down, with certain closing fees. We have builders agreed to build at minimum cost of $120/sqft.
We organize youth into student-led enterprises, so that they can employ themselves, including as subcontractors to our builders in building homes. We need adults to serve as mentors or advisors, or team-lead. Mentors are volunteers. Advisors and team-lead will share income with the student members when the team gets paid.

Our Mission

Starting from high school learn to work and earn more money, save money, buy land, build starter home, and grow community.

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Coliving
  • Student Co-op
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Networking
  • Services Business

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2023
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2027
  • Started living together
  • 3 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Not open to visitors
Total
3

How to join

Join Hands-on School Houston as (1) volunteer, (2) mentor, and/or (4) future resident.
To become a resident, form or join a group to buy or build homes. Start homeownership planning. Option to join student-led enterprises. Need money or qualify for mortgage to buy home, 0 down or 3.5% down (FHA) but need closing fees unless you can use government down payment assistance. We do not collect any fees.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

The board consists of the founders initially

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Labor: Encouraged or suggested
Members can run ethical business or take on jobs outside the community, as well as contributing time in the student-led enterprises.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Garden(s), Vehicle Share

Frequency of communal meals

  • Rarely

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Ethical Business, Investment Group, or Alternative Currency
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Suburban

Residential areas outside city centers but within metropolitan regions.

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Land area size
    4 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Texas, United States

Hands-on School Houston

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
  • Events
4 weeks ago

Healing Love Healing Money: Trust As The Foundation For A New Culture

Money, love and power are among the hardest things any community works with, and many of us carry the same fears into both: not having enough, losing what we have, and the sense that if someone else gets money or love, we won’t. Healing Love, Healing Money: Trust as the Foundation for a New Culture is taught by two intentional communities. Karen McAllister and Duncan Cryle are from Clear Sky Meditation and Retreat Center, a Buddhist-lineage community in the BC Rockies. Monika Alleweldt and Benjamin von Mendelssohn from Tamera Healing Biotope, a community of about 160 people in southern Portugal that has spent decades studying love, trust and relationship. Clear Sky has spent years working on its relationship with money, and our two communities found surprising parallels in the fears beneath both. Over four sessions we explore the roots of fear around money and belonging, love, possession and power, trust as infrastructure (community as a container for healing), and ethical livelihood. We use short meditations, body-based practices, reflection and small-group conversation. You do not need to be in a romantic relationship or live in community. When: October 27, Nov 3, 10, 17. All four sessions: 12–2pm Vancouver, 1–3pm Alberta, 7–9pm UK and Portugal, 8–10pm Central Europe. Note: US and some Canadian provinces change clocks on November 1, so the US west coast is 12–2pm on October 27, then 11am–1pm for the remaining sessions, and Eastern is 3–5pm on October 27, then 2–4pm for the rest. Cost: sliding scale Details and registration: https://www.clearskycenter.org/event/healing-love-healing-money-online/  
October 27, 2026 13:00 – November 17, 2026 15:00
  • Promoted
Offer
  • Promoted
  • Events
1 day ago

Coastal Regeneration Immersion: Permaculture Design Certification in Jalisco, Mexico

Tropical Dry Forest Permaculture Design & Regenerative Stewardship Certification (PDC)12-Day Intensive | 120 Hours | Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico APPLY AT XOCHIRAIZ.COM Join us for an immersive Permaculture Design Certificate course set in the tropical dry forest bioregion of coastal Jalisco. This 120-hour intensive blends internationally recognized PDC curriculum with hands-on regenerative practice — combining ecological design, agroforestry, natural building, and community stewardship into one integrated learning experience. Lead Faculty Jorge Luis Gtz. Olarte (Arborescencia RedGenerativa) – Regenerative Design, Soil Biology & Agroforestry Ozzy Lusth (Survior & Xochiraíz) – Wilderness Resilience & Survival Skills Dave Collins (Capacha Coastal Conservation Center) – Bioarchitecture & Ecological Development What You’ll LearnThe course moves through six progressive phases: Permaculture & Ecological Literacy – ethics, principles, and reading the tropical dry forest landscape Water & Soil Systems – keyline design, water harvesting, living soils, and compost systems Horticulture – food garden design, propagation, and biological pest control Regenerative Food Systems – tropical agroforestry, food forest design, and guild planting Ecological Infrastructure – bamboo bioarchitecture, bioclimatic farm design, compost toilets, greywater, and rocket stoves Integrated Design Studio – team-based final design projects covering watershed strategy, agroforestry, food forest layout, infrastructure, and phased implementation Daily RhythmMornings begin with optional surf/yoga and journaling, followed by field practicums and hands-on workshops. Afternoons include design studio and construction lab work, with reflection circles, communal dinners, and evening talks, films, or campfire discussions rounding out the day. Final ProjectParticipants work in teams to produce a full regenerative design package — landscape analysis, water plan, agroforestry design, food forest plan, ecological infrastructure, and bioclimatic farm plan — presented to a faculty review panel on the final day, followed by a closing ceremony, certificate delivery, and community feast. CertificationGraduates receive the Tropical Dry Forest Permaculture Design & Regenerative Stewardship Certification (120 contact hours), hosted by Capacha Coastal Conservation Center and Tierralegre, A.C. Curriculum integrates international PDC standards with tropical ecology, agroforestry, ecological restoration, bamboo bioarchitecture, bioclimatic design, GIS/photogrammetry, and regenerative leadership. Highlights Hands-on bamboo construction (temazcal, bathhouses, sculpture) Tropical dry forest silviculture practicum Community mapping and design project for Ekoa Green Community Talent show and sea turtle release
January 10, 2027 00:00 – January 24, 2027 23:59
Offer
Need

Update to a Public Profile

  • Log in
  • Go to your profile page
  • Toggle on the "Add my profile to the directory"
  • Save your profile

Information

Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

Plus Community Membership

  • Find people with Profile Match
  • Access to your community listing statistics
  • Create Discussion Groups
  • Access to our affiliate program
  • Member badge on your community profile
I am an official member of this community
Disclaimer
I affirm that my information is accurate and I am authorized to manage this listing
Foundation for Intentional Community FIC Member badge logo.

Free Plan

Free Membership
Free

Intentional Advertising

  • Subtotal

    {{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}

Icon representing community connections and collaboration for intentional communities.

Plus Membership

  • Find communities with Profile Match
  • View detailed reviews about communities
  • Create free listings in Needs & Offers
  • Plus Member resources in CommUniversity
  • View communities detailed reviews
  • Plus Member badge on your profile