The meeting was started off with John Norquist president, Congress for the New Urbanism and former Mayor of Milwaukee and author of Wealth of Cities. He noted the strong development of coops in Wisconsin due to dairy farms as well as power cooperatives. This has given coops a strength in Wisconsin that they do not have in Illinois. New laws in Illinois could help to support the coop movement here.

There are many strengths that co-ops can deal with making housing much affordable for many. But one drawback – the trouble with social groups they take up too many evenings.

Some thoughts that came out of the conference  : cooperation is the only way for a little man to exist in a big world, and the big one we seemed to have forgotten -

co-ops are democratic

Herbert Fisher, past president of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives pointed out that coops have made it possible for a new class of ownership. During these hard times coops have a lot to say that are helpful to deal with creating affordable housing and a more affordable society.

Arguments we are now having focus on either:  competition – it is either me or you – or- cooperation for the common good. There needs to be a shift in thinking – from profit and efficiency – taking chances -speculation on a large sale or affordable opportunities on a small scale with local community control for sustainability. This is something that needs to be learned. There are a number of coops that are doing just fine in the current financial turmoil we find ourselves in. A few examples: the Greenbay Packers (the team) is not moving anywhere else – it is a coop. Ace Hardware is also a coop.

Other participants in the conference included:

Kristin Cox Marketing and Community Relations Manger of the North Side Community Federal Credit Union. (Note both the Chicago Cohousing Network and Prairie Onion Cohousing have accounts here).

Mark Fick, Senior Loan/Program Oficer Chicago Community Loan Fund who is involved in the Center for Workplace Democracy. So, what do we mean by it? We define “workplace democracy” as essentially the process through which workers, individually and collectively, influence decisions at work that are usually reserved for managers to make. Specifically, we are referring to things such as what education and training programs workers need to produce goods and services; how work is actually organized; what kind of technology is developed or introduced in the workplace; what is the definition of quality of the goods and services that workers make; what kinds of investments employers and owners are making to keep the firm competitive and modern. And probably most importantly, what is the basic business strategy that is being employed to create a successful enterprise.

We believe that you get better business decisions and better outcomes when workers, individually and collectively, have an influence over these kinds of decisions. The mission of the center is to promote this process and to help our affiliate unions influence management decisions more effectively.

Vinnie Hernandez, General Manager and co-founder of Dill Pickle Food Cooperative. dillpicklefoodcoop.org After years of planning, networking and raising funds, the Dill Pickle Food Co-op opened on November 21, 2009 at 3039 W. Fullerton. Dill PIckle Co-Op plans are ambitious: they’ll be stocking fresh, local organic produce and claim to have one of the largest bulk food sections in the city. Dill Pickle came into an area that was not served by a food store and is grown and doing just fine.

Hal Mead

On September 10, 2011 I had a chance to attend the 16th  anniversary party for this coop. No this is not cohousing. However, people I met here definitely seem well connected to each other and show a similar spirit of cooperation and willingness to do the hard work that makes a community successful. (Something that is also found in cohousing communities.)

 The Pratt-Ashland Cooperative (PAC) was established in 1995 to allow low- to moderate-income families the opportunity of owning their home. PAC is a 22-unit apartment building located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL, just a 10-minute walk from Lake Michigan.

The building is cooperatively owned and we all have our own apartments. Membership in the Pratt-Ashland Co-op is an extremely affordable way to be a home owner: you buy in at a share price ranging from approximately $2,575 – $4,000 and then you pay a monthly housing charge that covers all building maintenance and your portion of the mortgage on the whole building. Combine that with convenient access to the CTA Red Line, Clark bus, Metra, and THE BEACH, and it’s a great setup.

Pratt-Ashland is an affordable, limited-equity cooperative. The residents collectively have ownership and control building over their building. Intro to Cooperative class available to all new applicants.

General Features

Monthly housing charge ranges from $820.00 to $1100.00We accept the Chicago Housing Voucher Program. Small pets are welcome, Low buy-in cost, Child Friendly and Involved Neighbors, Community Oriented

7% Annual Interest on your Ownership Share

 Visitors Accepted

Visitor Process: Please call the Pratt-Ashland Cooperative at 847-424-5592 or email pac.chicago@gmail.com. A PAC member will set up a time for you to visit the cooperative and see any available units. We are happy to talk to you about the community.

(Currently a 2 bedroom is available : for a share price of $4172 and a monthly housing charge of $910 – includes heat.)

For more information contact: pac-chicago.blogspot.com

Pratt-Ashland Cooperative 6807 N. Ashland #1, Chicago 60626 pac.chicago@gmail.com Phone: 847-424-5592

NOVEMBER 2011 UPDATE

We are suspending regular meetings and outreach activities. If you think you would like to get involved, please contact us by e-mail through this site (info@prairieonioncohousing.org) and we’ll be happy to bring you up-to-date.

NEW LEADERSHIP WANTED AND NEW ENERGY NEEDED!
The current active members of Prairie Onion Cohousing are seeking new members with the drive and enthusiasm to continue the effort/job/mission to bring cohousing to Chicago. Due to personal life changes and, yes, a little burnout, we are no longer able to devote the ongoing time and effort we had done up to now.

We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with new leadership, and have created a solid groundwork of organization and documentation to build on. We will continue to be involved as members and support the work of the leadership.

We intend to build a cohousing community within the city of Chicago. After several years of outreach, the response to the Bronzeville site we had identified has been limited in interest and energy. While we are continuing to consider it, we will also consider other locations, as well as the possibility of rehabbing an existing building of 20 units or more. A site would need to be located near rapid transit and easily accessible to the Loop, and ideally be ½ acre or larger.
We anticipate a community of about 20 house holds which will share green space and a common house, with parking located at the edge of the site. The community will include units of various sizes to accommodate individuals, couples and families. As is typical of condominium associations, each household will own its residence as well as a share of the common area.
The common house will include a kitchen and dining area for common meals that members are free to participate in as they wish. Other facilities being considered for the common house include laundry facilities, children’s playroom, workshop space, library, and indoor and outdoor space for neighbors to get together casually.

Early members will participate in the design of the community as a whole, including the common spaces and units. Kraus-Fitch Architects of Amherst, MA, conducted the first of three architectural workshops for Prairie Onion, focused on the proposed Bronzeville site, in Chicago in August of 2009. These workshops are designed to turn the members’ ideas and priorities into concrete plans for the buildings and grounds
The community will be:
• Affordable: The design will provide quality at reasonable prices; affordable choices will encourage economic diversity.
• Green: All site development will use the most progressive green technology possible within practical and financial constraints.
• Accessible: The design will accommodate people living with disabilities and help older residents to stay in the community as they age.
• Connected: Our cohousing community will be connected to the neighborhood, encouraging interactions between our residents and the larger community.

Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing
David Wann (Ed) Stories covering everything from planning a community to moving in to the joys and challenges of daily life.
From an Amazon review: “Dave’s book is the best I have read for giving you a real feeling for what it must be like to actually live in a cohousing community.”

Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves
Kathryn McCamant, Charles Durrett, et al

The Cohousing Handbook: Build A place for Community
Chris and Kelly Scott Hanson

Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities
Diana Leafe Christian

Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living
by Charles Durrett

Have you read any of these? Consider leaving a comment with your thoughts. Do you have other good books on Cohousing to recommend? Let us know!

The L shaped 3 story building along Vincennes and 46th includes a common house area on the first floor (overall design to be determined), five 3-bedroom units, eight 2-bedroomunits, seven 1-bedroom units. (Twenty units in all). (This design can change with possibility of studios).

An elevator makes all units handicapped accessible. Parking spaces are along the alley with some garage space available. There will be a large courtyard south of the building for a play area and gardening.

Sizes and Prices:

1 bedroom 1 bath – 850 Sq ft  $155,000
2 bedroom 2 bath -1,075 sq ft  $195,000
3 bedroom 2 bath -1,350 sq ft  $244,900

Qualifying households may also be eligible for purchase of units priced at $195,000 or less.