Cooperative Basics

Without a clear mission statement, it’s hard to consider these outcomes. It’s hard to place a finger on exactly what it is that you do and why you do it....

Rising home prices, record debt levels, and high medical costs, among other contributing factors, have converged in recent years to push homeownership further out of reach for aspiring buyers.

Overall, co-operatives have a proven track record of being more sustainable than other forms of business, with over 90% remaining successful after 3-5 years.

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Board members (and staff) should periodically assess the organization’s mission statement and update it as necessary to avoid misalignment of the organization’s purpose. It should inspire, compel, and encourage those...

Many nonprofits employ advisory councils — a group of individuals who advise and support the board's governance work or the management tasks carried out by staff.

Affordable housing is a broad and complex subject that is intertwined with multiple disciplines, including finance, economics, politics, and social services.

Housing cooperatives currently provide moderate to low-income families with about 376,000 units of affordable housing.1 This is equal to seventeen percent of the total number of rent reduction housing units...

For over 75 years, housing cooperatives have been a source of affordable housing. Currently, the 376,000 dwelling units of affordable cooperatives are equivalent to 17 percent of the rent-reduction units...

A housing co-op is people who together own or control the building(s) in which they live. Instead of buying “real” property, you buy stock or a membership in a cooperative...

This publication reviews the key elements needed for the successful formation and development of new cooperative businesses. The motivation for and process of forming cooperatives are discussed.

Cooperatives have long been recognized as a means of providing affordable housing.

Read the lease. Read the lease. Read the lease. When most people hear the term “lease,” they think of the long sheets of paper written in very small type that...

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People facing housing insecurity have suffered disproportionately from the effects of the virus. Those in overcrowded housing or homeless shelters are at greater risk of infection due to their inability to...

A Step-by-Step Tool to Support the Development of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Self-Help Organization

A Study in Cooperative Failures

About the United States of America Cooperatives

To receive funding through the Rental Assistance Program (FCHI-2), CMHC is requesting that housing providers contribute to strengthening the housing sector by enhancing their own long-term operational practices.

Students who face housing insecurity are less likely to engage seriously with their college experience and less likely to complete their course of study.

In 2018, the Province of British Columbia announced the creation of the Housing Hub, through which BC Housing partners with non-profit and for-profit sectors, faith groups, and other levels of government to...

Communities across the seven-county Twin Cities region are working to create a broader range of housing options for their residents.

Based on an analysis of demographic and census information, focus group discussions, and surveys conducted for this purpose, this white paper examines housing cooperatives, particularly the limited-equity cooperative model, and...

Housing cooperatives come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from high-rises to townhomes, from small multi-family buildings to clusters of single-family homes. Housing cooperatives are divided into two classifications: limited-equity...