Housing co-operatives are an oft-ignored alternative to apartment or townhouse living. In a co-op, everyone owns an equal share of the project. Often this results in lower monthly payments with more control over executive decisions.

“You can’t live here unless you’re a member and every member is a part owner,” said Jenette Goodman, president and resident of Betelstadur Housing Cooperative.

Each member owns a share of the building, as opposed to owning a unit at a condominium. That way the building is legally owned by those who live there. A board of directors is elected from within the membership.

The cost of shares typically ranges from $500 to $1,000.

“It’s set up so that you get your investment back when you leave, but it also goes toward upkeep,” said Cheryl Krostewitz, the property manager of six Winnipeg housing co-ops.

On top of the deposit-type share there are housing costs that are comparable to rent.

“I think we tend to be around seven to eight per cent below market,” said Stephen Troubridge, vice president of Westboine Park Housing Cooperative.

Goodman said a 600 sq. ft., one-bedroom with air conditioning, a balcony, free laundry and utilities costs $534 per month at Betelstadur.

“There’s no landlord pocketing money so we’re able to keep the costs down and those savings are passed down to the members,” said Troubridge.

“ It’s all designed for people to get to know their neighbours and interact with their neighbours.

Jenette Goodman, president of Betelstadur Housing Cooperative

Instead of a single landlord, it’s up to each housing co-op to decide what their needs are.

The board of directors sets the course for the co-op by setting up committees. For example, at Betelstadur there’s a membership committee that decides who can and cannot live at the co-op. At the moment, members must be 55 or older.

“There’s a building committee that looks after stuff like how often the caretaker has to clean the front hallway and nitty-gritty stuff like that,” said Goodman.

Part and parcel with the governing system of a housing co-op is a sense of community.

“It’s all designed for people to get to know their neighbours and interact with their neighbours,” said Goodman. She remembers one instance when a member at a different co-op fell ill. The community rallied to assist her back to health, she said.

“You have a voice in how your co-op’s being run,” said Krostewitz. “If you live in [an apartment] you don’t have that at all, you do what your landlord tells you.”

For more information on housing co-ops, see Samuel’s blog at http://uniter.ca/blog.

Published in Volume 64, Number 4 of The Uniter (September 24, 2009)