The Health of Our Section – An Aggregate Report of NASCO Member CO-OP Health Assessments

Overview of the Report

The Health of Our Section – An Aggregate Report of NASCO Member CO‑OP Health Assessments presents a comprehensive analysis of cooperative housing health across North America. Published by NASCO, the national association for housing cooperatives, the report compiles interview data from 28 co‑ops (excluding one association of co‑ops) conducted in 2021. It offers a sector‑wide view of governance, finance, legal compliance, membership, education, maintenance, leadership, staffing, community engagement and quality‑of‑life services.

Key Findings on Overall Health

In the 2021 assessment, 7 co‑ops were rated Poor, 8 Fair, 13 Good and none Excellent. The majority of co‑ops demonstrate strong governance (75 % of boards are active and policies are up‑to‑date) and solid financial practices, with over 75 % regularly reconciling books and publishing reports. Maintenance systems are generally well‑established, and food and housing conditions receive positive feedback.

Areas Needing Improvement

Significant gaps appear in personnel management, fair‑housing education, anti‑oppression training, sexual‑assault prevention, external financial review, demographic tracking, volunteer policies, performance reviews and disability‑service connections. Over 50 % of co‑ops lack regular staff evaluations, fair‑housing training, anti‑oppression training and external financial audits. More than 75 % do not have links with disability advocacy groups.

Quantitative Highlights

• 28 co‑ops interviewed; 12 have staff, half of which lack regular staff evaluations.
• 45 % of co‑ops do not regularly train members on Fair Housing law.
• Nearly 75 % of leaders do not attend anti‑oppression training.
• Over 50 % lack tools for sexual‑assault prevention, outside financial review, demographic tracking, volunteer contracts and leadership performance review.
• 75 % of boards are populated and meet regularly.
• Finance: >75 % reconcile bookkeeping and publish reports; only ~9 % are behind on payments.

Insights by Co‑op Type

Large co‑ops score higher in education and member recruitment, while small co‑ops excel in external community engagement. Co‑ops open to non‑students perform better in legal and community engagement metrics; student‑only co‑ops lead in other health categories. Co‑ops with staff outperform those without staff in all health dimensions except external community engagement, reflecting the stabilising impact of paid personnel.

Impact of Co‑op Age

Older co‑ops show stronger governance, legal and education scores but weaker staffing scores. Newer co‑ops (under five years) achieve higher overall health, governance and community‑engagement scores but struggle in legal, recruitment and quality‑of‑life services, likely due to limited system development time.

Recommendations for Sustainable Housing

NASCO advises co‑ops to:

• Implement formal fair‑housing training programmes.
• Secure regular external financial audits.
• Develop anti‑oppression and sexual‑assault prevention training.
• Establish systematic staff and leadership performance reviews.
• Forge partnerships with disability advocacy organisations.
• Create demographic tracking and volunteer policy frameworks. These actions aim to strengthen governance, equity and resilience, supporting the sector’s sustainability goals.

Access and Further Information

The report is publicly available on the NASCO website and can be consulted for detailed methodology, individual co‑op case studies and contact information for further assistance.