CVCHA is the Connecticut area Association affiliated with the National Association of Housing Cooperatives (NAHC). It is one of ten NAHC-affiliated associations serving housing cooperatives all across the USA.
NAHC represents directly and through its affiliated Associations more than one million families and individuals living in housing cooperatives. Its mission is "To represent, inform, serve, and inspire the nation's housing co-ops."
CVCHA was organized to "represent, inform, serve and inspire" housing cooperatives - in Connecticut and nearby areas - including western Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Membership in CVCHA includes membership in NAHC. There are more than 100 housing cooperatives in its area, ranging in size from less than ten families to nearly 1,000. Half of them are in Connecticut. Some are "limited equity co-ops" serving low to moderate income families. Others are or have become "market rate", serving families with incomes ranging from moderate to high. CVCHA has many co-op members in Connecticut, several in western Massachusetts and looks forward to serving cooperatives in Rhode Island and northern New England.
Most housing cooperatives provide "group home ownership". Their members are recognized as homeowners. They own shares or memberships in the non profit co-op corporation that owns the land and buildings. However some housing co-ops only own the land or own the buildings but lease the land, or even just own common areas and community facilities. "Mobile home" cooperatives are becoming more popular especially in suburban and rural areas. Their members own their own homes and the cooperative owns the land and community facilities. Some Connecticut co-ops have exchanged their shares or memberships for "interests in real estate" under Connecticut's Common Interest Ownership Act. The implications of this condominium concept are still being worked out. So far, it seems to have few advantages.
The basic principles of housing cooperatives include no discrimination, democratic control, one member one vote, by members over operation and maintenance of their community on a nonprofit basis and continuing education, inspiration and often community facilities and services for members.
For more information about CVCHA and NAHC please explore the following documents:
Kimalee Williams, President
Roger Willcox, Secretary/Treasurer
CVCHA
One Park Street, Norwalk, CT 06851
Phone/FAX 203-838-5706
www.CVCHA.org
email: willcoxr@juno.com
