A housing cooperative can be a high rise apartment building, a garden-style apartment, a townhouse, a single-family home, a senior housing complex, or a manufactured home park. A housing cooperative forms when people come together to own and control the buildings they live in. They form a cooperative corporation, and pay a monthly amount to cover operating expenses. The cooperative owns the land, the buildings, and any common areas. Members buy shares in the cooperative which entitles the member to the exclusive right to occupy a specific unit.
Examples of Housing Cooperatives
Madison Community Cooperative (MCC) is a non-profit housing cooperative with approximately 200 members living in 11 houses in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. MCC is committed to creating an inclusive cooperative community. Some of the ways we work toward that goal include The United People of Color Caucus, Safer Space Policy, Community Response Team, and the work of our Education Officer and Education Committee.
Village Cooperative senior housing communities are designed for active seniors who want an entirely maintenance-free lifestyle with all the financial benefits of home ownership. Village Cooperative Housing has 33 locations across eight states.
Duvall Riverside Village is a resident-owned manufactured home community in Duvall, Washington. As a resident-owned community (ROC), co-op members purchased the land and infrastructure. A democratically elected board of directors manages the business of running Duvall Riverside Village.
Resources
501(c)(3) Status for Housing Cooperatives. UW Center for Cooperatives, 2021
Housing Cooperatives Quick Guide. UW Center for Cooperatives, 2021.
Cooperatives and Community Housing Powerpoint. UW Center for Cooperatives, 2018.
More than Just Housing…Co-op Housing. UW Center for Cooperatives.
What is a Housing Cooperative? National Association of Housing Cooperatives.
Housing Cooperative Overview. National Association of Housing Cooperatives.
Co-op Roles & Responsibilities Summary Charts. Northcountry Development Foundation, 2019
What About Housing: A Policy Toolkit for Inclusive Growth. Grounded Solutions Network, 2018.
A Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Co-op. National Cooperative Bank, 2018.
Manufactured Housing Resource Guide: First Steps Toward a Resident Purchase Opportunity. National Consumer Law Center, 2017.
Manufactured Housing Resource Guide: Promoting Resident Ownership of Communities. National Consumer Law Center, 2015.
State of Cooperative Housing, Needs and Opportunities. Cooperative Development Services, 2014.
Shared Equity Homeownership Evaluation: Case Study of Dos Pinos Housing Cooperatives. The Urban Institute, 2010.
Development Manual for Small Rural Home Cooperatives. UW Center for Cooperatives, 2005.
Cooperative Housing Toolbox: A Practical Guide for Cooperative Success. Northcountry Development Foundation, 2003.
Cooperative Housing Development Toolbox: A Guide for Successful Community Development. Northcountry Cooperative Foundation, 2004.
Home Base: The Playbook for Cooperative Development. NCB Capital Impact, 2006.
Housing Cooperatives: An Accessible and Lasting Tool for Home Ownership. National Association of Housing Cooperatives.
An Assessment of Loan Regulations for Rural Housing Cooperatives. UW Center for Cooperatives, 1999.