The need to shift the focus of our government policies, emotional center of attention, and customary desires away from home ownership is beginning to resonate, primarily compelled by the continuing decline of single-family housing.  This is why I choose to address a “New American Dream”.

Unfortunately, our federal leadership continues to spend our resources and devote its attention to finding a way to inspire us to return to the American Dream as it has been pursued for more than the past century.  The difficulties that we still endure in our economy, and in our sense of well being, were initially created because of this limited focus upon the fact that we fulfill the American Dream by owning our own homes.

Our emotional center of attention still seeks the security of home ownership, but is unsettled by the loss of value in our primary “investment.”  This has been caused by the “myth” that we are losing money if we do not own a home.  More and more evidence is being published that demonstrates that this “myth” is not only flawed under the present circumstances, but has been incorrect from its inception.  If we are not comfortable with our housing choice, we are not secure.  Shelter is at the top of our hierarchy of needs.

Regrettably, the pressure to embrace the “myth” has led us to make our primary customary desire to be about owning our home.  In fact, our primary customary desire is to honor our inherent nature to be part of a caring and serving community.  We are wired to be social, and all of our natural tendencies are to engage one another in a mutually supportive manner.  Therefore, living in isolation is not compatible with our inbred desires, and is motivated by pursuing a “myth”.

In my next article I will define the “New American Dream” as well as describe how RenaissancePG  challenges the  American Dream with its Avistelé Lifestyle Communities.

The perception of multifamily housing is customarily twofold:

1. People live in apartments because they will never be able to achieve the “American Dream”  of owning their own home; and
2. People use apartments as transitional housing until they build sufficient resources to purchase their own home and live the “American Dream.”

At RenaissancePG, we constantly try to challenge these perceptions and create in our Avistelé Communities across the country the New American Dream.  We believe that the traditional American Dream’s central focus on single family housing must be reevaluated and recognize that the economics of home ownership do not make it more favorable than renting.

The New American Dream recognizes that we are human, and we thrive in concert with other human beings, not in isolation.  It recognizes that our economy, and our society, gains balance from having a work force that isn’t required to spend large amounts of time and money commuting to and from work.  It recognizes the energy consequences of spreading the population over broad geographical areas rather than the efficiencies of density.  And it recognizes the value of a more efficient delivery of services to our nation’s citizens.

This Blog is my opportunity to articulate my views about what makes RenaissancePG’s Avistelé Lifestyle Communities the revolutionary expression of the “New American Dream,” and why our business culture is dedicated to Changing the World One Community at a Time, One Relationship at a Time.  I look forward to it.