Solara: Hidden Class Assumptions in a Low-income Housing Cooperative
This paper explores causes for the partial organizational failure of a co-operative in Northern California.
Most Popular Resources
Developing Your Vision
Tools for developing your vision
Study: Housing Cooperatives and Health
This is a 2007 study of housing cooperatives in the upper Midwest (in Madison, Chicago and Iowa City) entitled 'Housing Cooperatives and Health'. It aims to investigate the relationships between living in a housing cooperatives and tenant-shareholders' physical and emotional health. Questions and comments welcome. Contact Jeff Bessmer (jeffbessmer@gmail.com).
The Rochdale Principles
Statement of Co-op Identity: The Rochdale Principles. Adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance in 1995.
File:
Getting Past Ageism
A handout on ways to counteract ageism (oppression of young and old people).
File:
Rent Payment Policy - Qumbya Co-op
The is the Payment Policy from Qumbya Housing Co-op (Chicago, IL) as of 2013. This policy was created in 2008 out of a response to series of siginificant member debt losses. The policy is relatively strict by co-op standards. It does allow for payment plans, which may be up to 2 months in duration, and must be approved before a debt is accrued, not after. The wisdom gained from the series of losses which we attempted to base this polic on are:
* If a member gets more than 2 months behind on rent, they are very unlikely to ever catch up.
Anti-Oppression: Intro, Organizing Tools, Further Resources
Action Camp: Lessons Learned
Table of Contents
Assumptions
Anti-Oppression: Key Words
Fabric of Oppression
Levels and Types of Oppression: Examples
Organizing and Facilitation Tools
Starting a Diversity Committee in Your Co-op
Activities/Discussion Starters
Further Resources
Websites and Collectives
Books, Readings, and Publications
Movies
Safe Space: A Tool for Allowing Deep and Consensed Dialogue
You can use this tool creatively, adapting the intensity of the 4 basic principles to different situations, depending on the level of risk being taken in each setting. Some components of these tools may be inappropriate for some settings, and invaluable in others. The more personal risk involved, the more carefully you want to frame the space at the outset, because a secure anchor is the only thing that will enable a process to fly to the heights of its potential.
Co-ops 101: An Introduction to Cooperatives (USDA)
This report provides a comprehensive summary of basic information on the cooperative way of organizing and operating a business. It covers the nature and extent of the use of cooperatives, compares cooperatives to other business structures, explains the roles various people play in a cooperative, and discusses equity accumulation and income taxation.
9 Fires Documentary - Video
9 Fires tells of the impact of nine campus-related fires that happened within three weeks in January and February of 2012. Through interviews with victims, families, students, fire and campus officials we learn about what happens after the headlines fade. We learn…the rest of the story.
9 Fires is being made freely available for schools and communities to use in their fire safety education and outreach efforts through the Minger Foundation because of generous donations.