About Cooperative Housing
Cooperative housing is a unique approach that makes housing more affordable while fostering a sense of community among the residents, leading to housing stability and housing of choice.
The 3 Pillars
of Cooperative Housing
Shared
Community
We move beyond mere co-habitation toward interindependence, where residents are co-creators of their experience through intentional engagement activities such as shared meals, movies, games, crafts, member appreciation, educational workshops, gardening, and other community building activities which build social equity, trust, and a sense of belonging.
Shared
Governance
Through democratic processes, we empower one another to make key decisions about the management of the organization, interpersonal best practices, problem-solving and opportunity-seeking. Having a say in how we live together fosters a sense of mindful community leading to greater housing stability.
Shared
Stewardship
Instead of being passive apartment dwellers, resident members contribute our time and effort in most of the work involved in maintaining and operating the property. We help with meal prep, cleaning, maintenance, grounds keeping, community outreach & advocacy, and leadership duties, in order to help to keep housing affordable and to further our mission.
Key Individual and Collective Responsibilities
Based on Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society Core Principles of the Cooperative Movement shared by cooperatives worldwide.
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Self-help: Co-ops are geared towards creating a community where every member benefits equitably. To accomplish this ideal, members need to help themselves while also helping each other.
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Personal Responsibility: Each individual member is responsible for:
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Personal-responsibility toward yourself: by relying on yourself for meeting your personal needs for self-care, your emotional well-being, and your own happiness, being cognizant of the power and agency you have to direct your life, as well as…
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Personal-responsibility toward others: by exercising within the co-op active participation, self-control, intentional mindfulness, personal accountability with a willingness to participate in the opportunity to contribute, collaboratively problem solve, to learn, and to improve.
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Democracy: The organization exists so that all members have control, and no one individual holds more power than the others. Members choose representatives by way of voting, and each individual has one vote per election.
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Equality: Each member of a cooperative should benefit from the same rights.
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Equity: Cooperative organizations should treat all members fairly, without any form of discrimination. Equity is essential to creating a harmonious relationship among all members.
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Autonomy & Independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members, not by outside parties. Cooperatives may form partnerships and agreements with third parties which the members find mutually beneficial.
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Solidarity: The cooperative emphasizes the importance of community, unity, and mutual support among members.
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Honesty: an ethical value that underpins the cooperative's operations, ensuring transparency and integrity in all dealings.
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Openness: Cooperatives operate in an open manner, sharing information with members and the public.
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Social Responsibility: A commitment of the cooperative to contribute positively to the well-being and development of its residents and the wider local community.
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EcoConscious Action: Implementing practices and policies within the cooperative's operations and individual members' decisions and actions that promote environmental sustainability and resource efficiency.
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Education, Training & Information: Collaborating to provide learning opportunities and necessary communication to members so they can effectively participate in and contribute to the governance and life of the cooperative.
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Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Actively working with other cooperative organizations locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to strengthen the cooperative movement and better serve members' needs.
The Cooperative Movement
For hundreds of years, cooperatives have served as a way for people empower themselves by pooling their resources and expertise.
Though the principles of cooperation existed long before the first cooperative organization, the movement is said to have begun in Europe in the early 1800s.
During the industrial revolution, mechanization lowered the economic value of people’s time and expertise. In order to maintain their livelihoods, people joined together in cooperatives.
Living in Cooperative Housing
In cooperatives, residents share the kitchen, bath, laundry, and common-area facilities of one large house. Shared responsibilities include meal preparation, household cleaning, minor maintenance, grocery shopping, yard care, etc.
House meetings, house rules, bylaws and consensus decision-making processes are common fixtures of cooperative housing.
Co-ops are more affordable because residents can divide the costs associated with food buying, utilities, on-going maintenance, and mortgage costs.
Benefits of Living in Cooperative Housing
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Affordability
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Built-in community
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Social and emotional support
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Skill building (cooking, gardening, communication, maintenance, recruitment, and more)
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Make your own decisions about your housing, instead of a landlord, through co-op decision making processes.
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Living with people with different backgrounds
Responsibilities of Living in a Cooperative House
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Attending house meetings
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Contribute to the healthy function of the co-op within shared stewardship, shared governance, and shared community.
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Resolve conflicts in a cooperative manner toward restorative outcomes.
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Making payments on time.
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Promote the co-op in the community with positivity and in solidarity.