Mission & Purpose

Purpose and Principles

The purpose and principles of the SHC are as follows:

Accessible, quality housing, active and democratic citizenship and participation in the cooperative movement at a cost of shared volunteerism and justifiable expenses with co-op financial asset.

1. Open membership such that no members of any age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight race, creed, color, sex, or sexual preference shall be excluded from applying to and becoming a member.
2. Democratic control; one member, one vote.
3. The Cooperative belongs to its members, thus any holdings of the Cooperative belongs to its members.
4. Continuing and constant education of the cooperative ideal, that through cooperation among cooperatives and their members, cooperatives shall grow and prosper.
5. Expansion of the cooperative ideal that is in the best interests of the membership.

The SHC has a responsibility to provide for the needs of its membership, but the membership has a higher responsibility to the SHC, that of being part owner in a collective ownership. Because of this collective ownership, all members must be responsible to each other as equals. If this responsibility is not fulfilled, then the SHC is no longer an organization of its members, only an organization of people.

The text above comes from the SHC Bylaws, our highest-level policy document. Changes to the Bylaws must be approved by a vote of the general membership. You can find the full Bylaws here.

Ends

The SHC Board of Directors is responsible for elaborating on the SHC’s Purpose and Principles through Ends Policies, which state the desired outcomes and benefits of the SHC’s work, the intended recipients of these benefits, and the expected costs of achieving these benefits. These are as follows:

1.0 POLICY TITLE: GLOBAL END

Accessible, quality housing, active and democratic citizenship and participation in the cooperative movement at a cost of shared volunteerism and justifiable expenses with co-op financial asset.

• 1.1 Member residents will:
  • 1.1.1 Actively participate in the co-op movement
  • 1.1.2 Live in an intentional community
  • 1.1.3 Be exposed to diversity
  • 1.1.4 Live in safe and secure homes
  • 1.1.5 Create an empowered environment
    • 1.1.5.1 Promote and practice consent culture
  • 1.1.6 Demonstrate social responsibility, ecological stewardship, and environmental sustainability
• 1.2 Under-served communities will flourish through cooperative support
• 1.3 Neighbors understand and appreciate cooperative culture
  • 1.3.1 They feel respected by and respect member residents
  • 1.3.2 See the co-op houses as an asset in the community
• 1.4 The cooperative movement will:
  • • • 1.4.1 Be a light shining in every current and alumni member
      • 1.4.2 Be visible, attractive and awesome
      • 1.4.3 End isolation in sub-cultures that suffer institutional oppression
      • 1.4.4 Grow and become more diversified

The text above comes from the SHC Board Policy Manual, our second highest-level policy document. Changes to the Board Policy Manual must be approved by a vote of the Board of Directors. You can find the full Board Policy Manual here.