Produced by the Rural Business and Cooperative Development Service in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) this Service Report entitled "44 Keys to Successful Cooperative Housing in Rural Areas" contains some practices and attributes associated with successfully developing and operating a housing cooperative are reviewed. Included are practices useful in planning and organizing cooperatives, as well as policies and procedures to help established housing cooperatives remain financially sound and responsive to member needs. Although this guide was written with cooperatives geared toward low-income residents in mind, these keys to success can be applied to any type of housing cooperative. The purpose of this guide is to highlight some methods practiced by successful housing cooperatives. It is not intended as a comprehensive manual. More detailed information about the operation of cooperative housing can be found by contacting the sources listed on page 11. Although it contains information particularly aimed at the United States the guide contains information useful for other rural and indeed urban housing cooperatives.
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