Non-Profit Rental

• Affordable housing (rent is (+/-) 30/35 % of income)
• Shares and deposits are returned when a member moves out
• Mixed-income = diverse community
• Active participation
• Security of tenure
• Community
• Common in Germany, Switzerland, Canada

Ownership (Equity)

• Access to equity
• A shareholder with exclusive use of housing unit
• Corporation owns the property
• Collective ownership of common spaces
• Long-term affordability is not guaranteed
• Pro-rata share of operating and maintenance costs
• At cost housing
• Common in Sweden, Norway, USA

Limited Equity

• Restricted price of shares bought and sold
• An affordable option for generations
• It May be restricted to low or moderate incomes
• Active participation
• Community
• Common in the USA

Mutual Aid

• Solidarity and self-help
• Principle of housing as a human right
• Democratic participation
• Self-managed and self-built
• Cooperative is the owner
• Facilitates access to adequate housing
• Common in Uruguay and spreading throughout South and Central America

Mutual Home Ownership

• A housing society managed by residents that ensures permanent affordability
• Each member is a leaseholder and has democratic control
• Members pay an equity share to the cooperative and retain equity in the scheme
• Members pay a monthly fee set at around 35% of net income that pays the mortgage and operating costs
• As members leave, existing members can buy more equity shares, and as people’s income levels change their equity share commitments can also change
• If someone leaves sooner than three years then they will not be entitled to increases in the value of their equity shares
• The housing society keeps a set percentage of any increase in equity to ensure the sustainability of the project
• Read our article on LILAC, a mutual  home ownership community in Leeds, England

Right of Use

• Consists of collective ownership of a building or complex by the housing co-op
• Members have the right to occupy a particular unit by mutual agreement but do not hold exclusive ownership
• The co-op builds the building and becomes its owner
• The land may belong to the co-op or be granted to it privately or ceded by the municipality at a symbolic price and for a limited amount of time
• Co-op members gain access to decent housing at an affordable price
• This system avoids speculation and soaring real estate prices