Innstead Co-operatives

http://www.innstead.org/
Year Published:  1982
Resource Type:  Organization
Cx Number:  CX2648

Abstract: 
The co-op is unique in Canada in that it operates on the basis of an internal subsidy/surcharge system for rental payments. At present, about half of the units in the co-op are subsidized. While that system is consistent with members' emphasis upon egalitarianism and sharing of material goods, it is no longer in accordance with government regulations governing housing, co-ops. Continuance of the INNSTEAD programme represents a direct challenge to government policy since 1979.

INNSTEAD housing co-op is comprised of 67 units in 45 renovated and energy-efficient houses, scattered throughout an old working-class neighborhood in Toronto.

Members of INNSTEAD are currently re-evaluating their policies. One concern is that, while the co-op wishes to house as many low-income families as possible, there are limits to how much of their disposable income other members may be willing to share specifically in this way. Also at issue is whether the use of gross income is the most appropriate measure of "need" in determining subsidization, since some individuals may be only temporarily poor (e.g. students) or have voluntarily chosen poverty. The raising of such issues reflects similar dilemmas faced by other collectives who endeavor to translate their egalitarian philosophies into action.

This abstract was published in the Connexions Digest in 1982.