Since our groundbreaking earlier this year, we have focused on all of the physical building happening at Karwick Village. As foundations were poured and framing took shape, it became easier for the community to see our dream come to life. Earlier this week, the Karwick Village community reached another milestone: the official formation of the Karwick Village Cooperative Board. This might sound simple, or more administrative in nature, but in reality, it’s the foundation and breathing heart of Karwick Village.
The Karwick Village Board: The Source of Cooperative Community
A cooperative community is made up of members who have a say in the running of their community. The board of the cooperative, in our case, the Karwick Village Board, is the hub of this community. Residents typically make up the board seats, and this will be true of Karwick Village. The benefit of this type of community is that those living in the cooperative have a vested interest in the well-being of the community and are able to make decisions collectively that support the community as a whole.
Earlier this year, we worked in partnership with the Notre Dame Community Development Law Clinic to establish the legal framework for the Karwick Village Cooperative. With the help of Professor Jim Kelly and law student Kyle Johnson, the Karwick Village Board is officially its own legal entity, sitting separately but working in coordination with Homeward Bound Villages. The framework of this arrangement allows the Karwick Village Board to make choices for the cooperative independently of Homeward Bound Village.
The First Year: Just the Beginning
As you’re reading this, you might be thinking, How did the board form without residents at Karwick Village? That is a fair question and one that we are happy to answer. At the beginning of this year, we formed the Karwick Village Working Group. The Working Group, made up of Homeward Bound Villages Board Members and dedicated community members, worked together to help support the formation of the Karwick Village Board and select the members of the first year Karwick Village Board.
The members appointed earlier this week will sit on the board for the first year as residents move into Karwick Village. This first-year board will also be responsible for supporting residents as they move onto the board. Once full occupancy is reached at Karwick Village, the board will call a membership meeting and vote to transition the original members off the board and elect residents in their place.
This first year’s board is a significant milestone for Karwick Village and the structure of the cooperative community. While Homeward Bound Villages owns the land and the buildings, Karwick Village, through the Karwick Village Board, will be responsible and have the autonomy to make the decisions needed for the community. We are thrilled to have reached this milestone, as it brings us one step closer to establishing La Porte County’s first cooperative rental community, providing affordable housing. Congratulations to our Karwick Village first-year board members!
Karwick Village will be adding a few more board members from the community to serve during this initial 1-year start-up until it’s transitioned to residents. If you’re interested in joining the Karwick Village Board, please contact us.
If you’d like to learn more about the legal framework of the Karwick Village Board, please click here to read an interview with Professor Jim Kelly from the Notre Dame Community Development Law Clinic.
