Notes from Workshop Zero: The Politics of Co-Ownership
We recently hosted Workshop 0: Preparing for Home Ownership at Coop 789. We reviewed the definition of co-ownership, the costs and benefits of co-ownership, the various models of co-ownership... and because we also want to plant the seeds of systems-change, we also went over the politics of co-ownership.
Tia, one of the Coop 789 Resident Owners, took notes to share. Check them out below.
Definition: Co-ownership is a group of folks who own the place they live in together and share decision-making.
Benefits of co-ownership:
- building community
- sharing responsibility
- preserving affordability
- having a say
- healing
Challenges of co-ownership:
- investing time (a lot of time!)
- digging deep during interpersonal conflict
Comparing Conventional vs. Collective Ownership:
- Sole responsibility vs. Shared responsibility
- Required down payment vs. shared resources, financially safer
- Government tax incentives vs. group incentives
- Built wealth vs. Time investment
- Isolation, little community accountability vs. opportunities for community building
- Racial inequality in access and value vs. racial justice mission
- Market and speculation-driven vs. community driven
Various Models of Co-Ownership
- Community Land Trusts
- Co-Housing
- Condominiums
- Limited Liability Company or Partnerships
- Tenants in Common
- Cooperative Corporations
- Market Rate Coop
- Limited Equity Housing Coop
- Zero Equity Housing Coop
- Permanent Real Estate Coop
If you want a more in-depth orientation to our housing model, please come to one of our orientations! Check out our calendar here.
