21st Street Co-op Support Fund
Donation protected
A new community-focused cooperative on the near west side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is seeking funding for beginning costs and the purchase of our first home. Our cooperative is unique in that it will span the entirety of a single “block” located on North 21st Street. This is possible through this block’s communal history and the ongoing commitment from neighbors to maintain a supportive and neighborly atmosphere.
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This parcel of city street is made distinct by the long-standing presence of the Casa Maria Catholic Worker community, who is celebrating 55 years of existence this year. Casa Maria CW’s mission focuses on the Works of Mercy, which include: feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead, shelter the homeless.
For fifty-five years, Casa Maria CW has housed women, children, and refugees who are facing times of houselesness. They provide the neighborhood with a free clothing and furniture garage, and these days run a “food truck” that gives away free food three times a week.
Our neighborhood has formed around this community, including neighbors who have lived on the block for nearly as many years. Casa Maria CW currently owns four houses, while our long-term neighbors make up the majority of other residents. This long-term homeownership has kept the block stable and filled with people who consider each other close neighbors with the city.
Now, with aging neighbors looking to sell their homes, we are facing two not-so-great options: absentee landlords or gentrifying house-flipping.
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This is where 21st Street Cooperative comes in! A group of neighbors on 21st Street teamed up with other Milwaukee people involved with mutual aid and direct action.
Together we decided to create a personalized style of cooperative. Houses owned by the Cooperative will be leased to various collectives as one united unit. The collective will run their home autonomously, giving them the space to live together and further their own mission. Neighbors who choose to be members of the Cooperative and residents alike, will support the block through community-service hours. This shared work will help unify a diverse array of individuals and groups.
There are a LOT more details and visioning to be created, but before we can move any further, we need to raise funds for the first house that has suddenly become available for us to purchase! The seller has accepted our offer and we will close on August 1st, 2021.
~ ~ ~
So why fundraise? Turns out there are a LOT of surprise fees with this process: lawyers, title insurance, closing fees. Plus the much less surprising news that an old home needs lots of love (roofing, drywall, deep clean, and new appliances).
While we have arranged ourselves as a Stock Cooperative (you can look us up in the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions) and can offer you stock for purchase and future re-purchase, what we really need are donations. Donated funds, as opposed to loans, means we will be able to keep the rent ridiculously low for the owner-occupants.
We hope you’ll find us worth your contribution as we take on the creation of an affordable and mutually-supportive community.
Thanks in Advance,
Caitlin
~ ~ ~
This parcel of city street is made distinct by the long-standing presence of the Casa Maria Catholic Worker community, who is celebrating 55 years of existence this year. Casa Maria CW’s mission focuses on the Works of Mercy, which include: feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead, shelter the homeless.
For fifty-five years, Casa Maria CW has housed women, children, and refugees who are facing times of houselesness. They provide the neighborhood with a free clothing and furniture garage, and these days run a “food truck” that gives away free food three times a week.
Our neighborhood has formed around this community, including neighbors who have lived on the block for nearly as many years. Casa Maria CW currently owns four houses, while our long-term neighbors make up the majority of other residents. This long-term homeownership has kept the block stable and filled with people who consider each other close neighbors with the city.
Now, with aging neighbors looking to sell their homes, we are facing two not-so-great options: absentee landlords or gentrifying house-flipping.
~ ~ ~
This is where 21st Street Cooperative comes in! A group of neighbors on 21st Street teamed up with other Milwaukee people involved with mutual aid and direct action.
Together we decided to create a personalized style of cooperative. Houses owned by the Cooperative will be leased to various collectives as one united unit. The collective will run their home autonomously, giving them the space to live together and further their own mission. Neighbors who choose to be members of the Cooperative and residents alike, will support the block through community-service hours. This shared work will help unify a diverse array of individuals and groups.
There are a LOT more details and visioning to be created, but before we can move any further, we need to raise funds for the first house that has suddenly become available for us to purchase! The seller has accepted our offer and we will close on August 1st, 2021.
~ ~ ~
So why fundraise? Turns out there are a LOT of surprise fees with this process: lawyers, title insurance, closing fees. Plus the much less surprising news that an old home needs lots of love (roofing, drywall, deep clean, and new appliances).
While we have arranged ourselves as a Stock Cooperative (you can look us up in the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions) and can offer you stock for purchase and future re-purchase, what we really need are donations. Donated funds, as opposed to loans, means we will be able to keep the rent ridiculously low for the owner-occupants.
We hope you’ll find us worth your contribution as we take on the creation of an affordable and mutually-supportive community.
Thanks in Advance,
Caitlin
Organizer
Caitlin O'Brien
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI
