Housing co-ops offer a number of benefits to their members and to their local communities.
Find out if housing co-ops maybe a suitable housing option for you.
For members, the benefits include:
- access to affordable and socially, economically sustainable housing that they can manage and govern themselves
- a sense of long-term security of their housing situation
- a sense of belonging to a community based on mutual co-operation
- the safety and security of living somewhere where there are always other familiar people around
- opportunities to gain training and experience in roles such as chairperson, secretary, treasurer or tenancy and maintenance officer
- ongoing opportunities to develop and share skills, practical help, support and encouragement
- access to education and skills development
- access to other support
For the local community, benefits include:
- a positive contribution to the social balance and cultural diversity of the community
- the addition of a number of socially, economically and environmentally responsible members to the local community
- enrichment of the social and co-operative atmosphere of the community
- overall strengthening of the local sense of community
What do you need to consider?
If you are considering co-op housing, ask yourself the following questions. Can you:
- Attend regular (at least monthly) meetings and contribute to the management of the housing co-op by making decisions about properties and activities of the housing co-op?
- Volunteer and dedicate at least several hours a week working for the housing co-op, in areas such as administration, tenancy and maintenance coordination?
- Take on an official role within the housing co-op i.e. Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Maintenance or Tenancy Officer or be prepared to learn how to do this?
- Attend regular training to improve your skills?
- Respect, listen to and value the opinions of your fellow Co-operative members?
If you answered ‘Yes’, to all these questions, housing co-ops maybe a suitable housing option for you.