WHAT IS COOPERATIVE NETWORK
SENIOR COOPERATIVE HOUSING?

Purpose: 

The Senior Cooperative Housing Council is an Cooperative Network membership sector committee comprised of senior housing co-op members, directors, managers, developers, management companies and other professionals primarily in Minnesota.  The Council meets quarterly.  Its purposes are:

What is Cooperative Network?

Cooperative Network is the state trade association representing any business structured as a cooperative, including farm supply, grain, dairy electric, credit unions, health care, grocery, transportation, publishing, and of course, housing co-ops.  Senior housing just happens to be the fastest growing segment of Cooperative Network’s membership! Cooperative Network has a board seat for housing, and that seat is held by Janet Boland from Realife Valley View Co-op in Eden Prairie. MAC members receive discounts at all Cooperative Network hosted educational programs, including the conference and workshops.  Full Cooperative Network membership is reserved for cooperatives only; any co-op can become a member of Cooperative Network. Professional organizations that are non-cooperatives can become associate members of Cooperative Network, which offers many of the same educational program discounts.

Who can attend the Council meetings? Any cooperative that has joined Cooperative Network can have two members and a manager attend the quarterly meetings.  When a senior housing cooperative becomes a member of Cooperative Network, each cooperative fills out a form designating two voting delegates to the Council.  Any professional organization who has joined Cooperative Network as an associate member can also participate in the council meetings.  Associate members can attend and contribute to the meetings, but because they are not a co-op they do not have voting rights.  It is very important that the delegates of Cooperative Network member co-ops attend these meetings.  The meetings are where the key planning for all workshops and the annual conference takes place. Your participation is needed to ensure that we are addressing all members’ concerns.  A cooperative or professional considering membership may send one or more member(s) and the manager as observers without a vote to several meetings in anticipation of joining. For more information on Cooperative Network memberships, please call 651-228-0213.

What are the Workshops?

The members of the Council vote on popular “hot topics” and current issues to be discussed at half-day workshops 3 times per year. The Council designates a planning committee for each workshop, which designs the program, identifies speakers, and develops handouts.

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