A champion in the resident ownership movement and co-op development specialist at ROC Northwest will help educate others working in the cooperative housing sector about the model on the national stage this month.
Cooperative Housing Specialist Miles Nowlin will give the keynote address at the National Association of Housing Cooperatives Annual Conference.
The event brings together those working in the cooperative housing sector each year to discuss what’s going on in the field. This year, topics will be focused primarily on manufactured housing and the vital role it plays in the affordable housing world. Resident ownership further protects the housing stock and its affordability, as shown by the nearly 250 ROCs that ROC USA works with nationwide.
Nowlin said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to educate other co-op developers about the model, which benefits a diverse population of homeowners in the 17 states ROC USA and its affiliates work in.
“There’s no reason that this couldn’t be a model for every city in the country that’s struggling with a housing crisis,” he said.
Nowlin said he’s excited to share the incredible and inspiring stories of the ROC Members who volunteer their time for the benefit of their neighbors. For him, seeing residents step up into leadership roles and helping coach them is the best parts of his job.
“A really common reaction is that residents could never afford this place and could never run this place,” he said. “We’re all working to debunk that stigma and remind people that this is happening on a broad and scalable level.”
The conference will be held in Miami from Oct. 16 to 19.