National Co-op Month: Celebrating Community Ownership

October is National Co-Op Month, an annual opportunity to raise awareness of a trusted, proven way to do business and build resilient, inclusive communities. Culturingua, as a member of the Pathways to Prosperity Coalition, is developing a Community Land Trust (CLT) in the Greater Medical Center to enable low- and moderate-income residents to access attainable and affordable homeownership. CLTs, which are just one of several forms of community ownership models, are nonprofit organizations governed by a board of CLT residents, community residents and public representatives that provide lasting community assets and shared equity homeownership opportunities for families and communities.

As part of their work developing a CLT in San Antonio, Culturingua Co-Executive Directors Nadia Mavrakis and Nader Mehdawi recently traveled to the Twin Cities in Minnesota for a CLT site visit. On their trip, Nadia and Nader visited City of Lakes CLT (photo above taken with staff at CLCLT office in front of "Faces of Affordable Housing" mural), Rondo CLT, Homes Within Reach CLT, Carver County CLT, and Scott County CLT. These site visits gave Culturingua the opportunity to learn from these organizations’ leaders and members and to see these CLTs’ homes and businesses in action.

Culturingua also dug into the technical aspects of creating a CLT with visits to Twin Cities developers and financing partners who have been involved in local CLT work. In particular, Nader and Nadia met with the African Development Center and Neighborhood Development Center, which both provide Shariah compliant lending products. Due to Islamic law’s prohibition on charging interest, Shariah compliant business loans and mortgages are a critical part of building economic opportunity for many of the Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) residents whom Culturingua serves.

Nader returned to the Twin Cities earlier this month to continue to learn from established CLT practitioners at the annual conference that brings together the Minnesota CLT Coalition, Wisconsin CLT Network, and Michigan CLT Network. He learned from scores of CLT practitioners about successful implementation of CLTs including contract setup, structuring of ground leases, different CLT acquisition models, and more. Culturingua is grateful to LISC San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, and National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) for making these trips possible.

CLT Leaders and members of Minnesota CLT Coalition (left) and City of Lakes Community Land Trust (right)

Touring City of Lakes CLT homes

Rondo Community Land Trust site visits

Meetings with Shariah compliant lenders African Development Center (left) and Neighborhood Development Center (right)

Shout-out to LISC Twin Cities Senior Program Officer Gretchen Nicholls for meeting up with Culturingua while they were in town!

All photos courtesy of Culturingua.