Cooperative Development Institute

"Sunset Terrace, a manufactured home community in Rockland, Maine, is hooked up to municipal water, which is often a better water source than a well," said Jeremiah Ward, Director of CDI's Water Infrastructure Support Program (WISP). "But because the community is on private land, the city won’t service the lines, which is why they need funding help to make the improvements." Sunset Terrace is one of nine resident-owned manufactured housing communities in Maine getting a share of nearly $18 million in federal funds recently awarded to CDI. The funds headed to Sunset Terrace will help replace the water line that residents worry will fail. Read the full story on Spectrum News here: https://lnkd.in/eD8mxe64 #affordablehousing #drinkingwater #iyc2025 #cooperativesbuildabetterworld

The Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Main program today awarded the Cooperative Development Institute $17,890,795 to implement infrastructure projects at resident-owned communities representing thousands of households across the Northeast, helping to preserve the affordability and sustainability of homes in our region. In addition, PRICE funding will allow CDI’s Water Infrastructure Support Program (WISP) to expand ongoing infrastructure technical assistance to interested resident-owned manufactured housing communities. This award would not have been possible without dozens of community leaders who have worked tirelessly to communicate with policymakers about their need to fund safe drinking water, waste and storm water treatment, and electrical infrastructure improvements. Thank you HUD Office of Community Planning and Development! Read the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/ecZsBman #affordablehousing #infrastructure #price ROC USA

The Northeast Regional Food Business Center awarded the Cooperative Development Institute a $100,000 grant to support emerging networks of cooperative immigrant and Muslim food businesses in the Northeast. The grant will help CDI increase access to affordable and culturally relevant foods and expand markets for the region’s farmers and producers. Visit us to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eenpa_6Y #coop #cooperative #InternationalMigrantsDay

"Havenly, a nonprofit cafe and job training program for immigrant and refugee women, has won city approval to open a worker-owned childcare center in the basement of a New Haven, CT church. Havenly Co-Executive Director Caterina Passoni told the Independent that a majority of the nonprofit’s graduates are mothers with young children. For years, she said, they’ve talked about needing affordable childcare, and about wanting to work in childcare themselves. Havenly is working with CDI to build this new business into a worker-owned co-op. Pending state approvals, the group hopes to have this new daycare center open next summer." Read the full story in the Independent: https://lnkd.in/ea9KJmXP

Since CDI's WISP program launched last year, it's already raised more than $12 million for 22+ communities! Watch the video to hear from Jeremiah Ward, Director of CDI's Water Infrastructure Support Program (WISP), a dedicated team of experts raising funds to update water, sewer, and electrical systems for resident-owned manufactured home communities. #WISP makes it possible for communities to keep homes affordable, safe, and a happier place to live. Learn more about WISP here: https://cdi.coop/wisp/

Give the gift of community this #GivingTuesday! Help us make the Northeast a better place to live and work. With more than 30 years of experience in cooperative development and our deep understanding of the unique needs of the communities in our region, CDI develops and strengthens a wide range of cooperative enterprises including: 💚 Community-owned, affordable housing cooperatives 💚 Cooperative startup businesses that fill needs and create sustainable jobs 💚 Employee ownership transitions to preserve small businesses and increase wealth-building opportunities We can't do this work without you. Thank you for your continued support! 1. Donate today: https://lnkd.in/gsmQDFdK 2. Sign up for CDI's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/df2GG4Rg 3. Shop CDI swag for family and friends: https://lnkd.in/eFYjR3BY 4. Become a monthly donor: https://lnkd.in/gsmQDFdK 5. Share this post with your network

Residents of Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park went door to door to the community’s 129 lots to educate their neighbors about a new Maine law that gives residents of manufactured home parks the opportunity to organize and make their own bid to purchase their community when it goes up for sale. They successfully organized 58 percent of residents and submitted an $8 million bid to the current owners of the park. Now, residents have until mid-February to pull together the funds from local lenders and grant programs. Read their story in the Bangor Daily News here: https://lnkd.in/eTUtzU5j #affordablehousing #manufacturedhomes #opportunitytopurchase

The Northeast Transition Initiative (NETI) Fellowship, a 9-month program that brought together business experts from across the region to expand their knowledge about exit planning and employee ownership, came to a close this month and we are celebrating our graduates by highlighting their plans to strengthen their local business communities. We asked each of our graduating fellows — who come from diverse backgrounds including lenders, small business development centers, economic development groups, and incubators — the same five questions to understand the unique needs of their communities and the learnings they plan to bring back and implement. Read what they had to say: https://lnkd.in/ga7NpNQg Congratulations to our fellows and we can't wait to see the impact you all have across the northeast! CDI is a proud partner of #NETI, a partnership of organizations whose mission is to expand the knowledge, resources and tools needed to support exit planning for business owners and transitions to employee ownership.

Thank you USDA Rural Development for supporting cooperatives and helping us to grow a more prosperous economy! Read Director Soares' full column in the Bennington Banner here: https://lnkd.in/e6JqCkR9

We had a blast at the Beyond Business as Usual 2024 conference this past weekend! Our very own Pável Uranga, director of CDI's Immigrant Services, spoke on a panel with our visionary colleagues about how the cooperative model can support immigrant communities and the challenges they face. Click here to learn more about our Immigrant Services Program: https://lnkd.in/g2QTJbhw Thank you to our fellow panelists who are spotlighting the needs of our communities: Javier Villatoro of Tortilleria Semilla Co-op. Denisse Cruz-Contreras of the Connecticut nonprofit Havenly Dr. Gabriela Pereyra of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust David Molina-Hernandez of Fuerza Laboral Thank you to reSET (Social Enterprise Trust) and Cooperate Connecticut for organizing this event and bringing great minds together on important issues. #CoopMonth