Rhea Serna's blog

I am currently working with the San Francisco Community Land Trust (SFCLT) to create affordable housing that combines limited equity cooperative housing (LECH) with a community land trust (CLT). Residents in a LECH are known as members. MAF and the SFCLT will work together to train residents to become cooperative housing members. Through participation in a LECH/CLT resident members are given the opportunity to collectively own their building. The CLT, as the non-profit organization, purchases the property which will then be developed into a LECH. The CLT retains ownership of the property and develops long-term lease agreements on the property with the resident members. The long term lease agreements usually last for 99 years and can subsequently be renewed. Through the lease agreement, member residents can deed their interest to their heirs. Having the CLT retain ownership of the land is one component of creating perpetual affordable housing for residents making substantially less than the area median income (AMI). With the CLT retaining ownership of the land, the cost of the land over the long term is removed from the building. Resident members understand and agree that the principal benefit of belonging to a LECH/CLT is a stable place to live. This stability is measured by security of tenure, privacy, and the right to remodel or redecorate.

I celebrated Cinco de Mayo this year with over 20 Latina and Asian families that are part of one of the many programs offered by the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC). EBAYC staff and families visited the Mission Asset Fund to learn about MAF’s programs. Along with Laura Valdez of CAMINOS, I presented to staff and families MAF’s first “How To” session on cooperative business development. EBAYC’s mission of organizing families to build democratic community power to improve and strength their schools and neighborhoods is a perfect fit for the cooperative business model. Guiding principles for cooperative businesses include the concepts of democratic member control, member economic participation, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. MAF is currently working with CAMINOS to assist their clients in developing a worker owned tech collective. CAMINOS students are primarily Latina immigrants that receive education and training to develop the soft skills needed for pursuing and maintaining a career in technology. The success of MAF’s partnership with CAMINOS will someday serve as a blueprint for other organizations to replicate.

I recently attended the Cooperation Works training in Madison, WI. While the training primarily focused on business cooperatives, the trainers also focused on cooperative housing and marketing cooperatives.

For many Latinos, working in a cooperative manner is nothing new. Prior to Mexico’s privatization of many sectors of its economy, Mexican farmers and small business owners were accustomed to belonging to cooperative organizations that allowed them to pool their resources and jointly work together to distribute and market their products. Currently in the Mission District, MAF has seen examples of informal cooperatives such as MISBA, the Mission Small Business Association. MISBA works much in the same way that a marketing coop works. Members of MISMA collectively work together to support, promote, and advocate for immigrant small business owners in the Mission.

At the Cooperation Works training, the trainers reviewed coop history, principles, business models and development steps. Training participants also had the opportunity to visit actual coops in Madison! These coops included a cab coop, a housing coop, and a food coop.