A group of young people have built a tiny house overnight on Pontypridd Common, reviving the tŷ unnos custom, which allowed squatters to claim the legal freehold of property if they built a house on common land between dusk and dawn in the 17th and 19th centuries. The event was coordinated by Citrus Arts and brought together young people aged 18 to 30. The house, which will stand for 24 hours, was constructed with sustainable materials with plans to recycle and reuse them for other projects to address housing insecurity, affordable housing, access to land, and the environment.
The group appealed to use the project to incite conversations around homes and housing, the environment, and climate change. Tabitha Hope, the project’s architect, stated, “This is such an exciting project and an important opportunity to open up a conversation about access to land, affordable housing, and how people want to live,” adding, “We hope the project will get people talking about common land and how to make a home, however humble, accessible for everybody that wants and needs one.”
Lucie Powell, 18, who took part in the project, said, “It is important to talk about the problems young people face, especially in Wales, when it comes to buying homes, so the aim is to hold a conversation about that,” while Griffin Doyle, 18, who hopes the project would act as a catalyst for discussions around homes, said, “I hope that some people will be inspired and see that the world is definitely a place that needs a bit of changing.”
Stilt walkers, dancers, and jugglers were on-site to entertain the crowds who came to witness the spectacle, with smoke puffing from the chimney and the words “no place like home” sparking into flames. The house was completed with its stained glass windows glowing, reflecting the effort of a team who worked under torchlight throughout the night to assemble it like a jigsaw. The cost of accommodation is a pressing issue for young people, with renting as the only option, yet unrealistically expensive
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