WHAT ARE CO-OPERATIVES?

Co-operatives are associations of persons, united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprises (International Co-operative Alliance).

Housing co-operatives are self-help and jointly-owned member/user associations or societies.

They build or acquire and manage houses or apartments, with various forms of tenure, in response to community housing needs.

The members share responsibility for their co-operative housing enterprises and are represented on the management committees or boards of directors.

While adopting effective business methods to fulfil their economic and social purposes, co-operatives are also membership organisations based on the values of self-help, sharing responsibility, democracy, equality and solidarity.

Co-operative housing societies in Ireland are legally registered with limited liability status under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, using standard model Rules made available by the National Association of Building Co-operatives.  For more information, please visit SERVICES - Legal Registration of New Co-operative Housing Societies