The first site will be in the Netherlands.

Credit: ReGen Villages

Off-grid housing that actually works for families is hard to come by, but that's what ReGen Villages is striving towards with their concept for new self-sustaining communities.

The startup real estate company has a dream to create regenerative communities that not only produce their own food but also generate their own power, meaning what's usually only possible for rural areas with renewable energy sources would be a reality for people that want these luxuries while having close neighbors. This idea is more than just a dream, however, as the development company has its sights on their first site in Almere, Netherlands with the goal of opening it in 2018.

Credit: ReGen Villages

ReGen's founder, James Ehrlich, told Business Insider,

"Regenerative means systems where the output of one system can actually be the input of another."

For the off-grid community, this means that household food waste would be composted to fertilize crops and feed flies, which would both promote crop growth and also feed the local fish. The fish would then fertilize aquaponic gardens, which are gardens that combine fish farming and hydroponic agriculture, and eventually feed residents.

Credit: ReGen Villages