Queen City Cooperative

Our Vision

QCC provides inclusive, democratic, affordable, member-owned housing.

Our Values

Inclusive membership: We strive to make our community welcoming to people of marginalized identities. We are doing the work to build cultural understanding and to decenter privileged identities as the norm or the dominant source of culture. We aim not just for diverse recruitment, but for interpersonal safety and rooted connection so that all members can show up authentically as themselves and call the co-op home for the long term. We are a work in progress!

Democratic Management: We encourage members to participate and govern at all levels of our cooperative, including our houses, committees and board of directors. We consult, self-advocate, negotiate, seek compromise and find paths forward together. In most group settings we practice modified consensus or consent-based decision making that is “good enough for now, safe enough to try.” 

Education: We create opportunities for growth and leadership development in our shared work together, including mentorship, skill-sharing, capacity building, onboarding and ongoing training. We are committed to learning, changing and personally developing in order to live together across differences and for the cooperative to thrive. When possible, we host external educational events about cooperatives for the wider community and people potentially interested in joining our co-op.

Stewarding Collective Resources: We manage our collective resources to improve life at the co-op for current and future residents. Each member plays a role in caring for our homes and our collective assets. When feasible, we expand member services and develop new permanently affordable housing. We grow by balancing member capacity and needs with opportunities. More is not always better. We may support other cooperative organizations in their development or collaborate with them to create shared infrastructure.

Intentional Care: We exist to serve our members. As such, we seek to communicate our needs to receive care and to support others in receiving the care they need. Conflict and divergence are natural, and when they happen, we are committed to accountability, reconciliation and repair. We keep short lists and aim to speak directly to someone when we have a concern or when they have hurt us. We are committed to each other’s well being and to building a culture of belonging.