When the ink dried on ROC USA’s last strategic plan (July 2018-June 2021), no one could have foreseen how so much was about to change. The onset of the pandemic forever changed the way the world does business and the murder of George Floyd a few months later once again shone a spotlight on the need for social and economic justice that lifts all people and communities.
Through the challenges and loss we all experienced, resident owned communities proved themselves once again resilient.
ROC Leaders have proven flexible and able to adapt. ROC Members showed us that strong and engaged communities are perfectly positioned to look out for one another in difficult times. 
ROC USA and ROCs themselves were built to withstand challenging periods. Thanks to that blueprint and so much hard work from ROC Leaders, their technical assistance providers in the field, and the ROC USA staff, not a single ROC has failed. Were there challenges? Of course. But there were also solutions.
Not only is every ROC persevering, but more than two dozen communities (home to nearly 2,000 families) have become resident owned since a pandemic was declared in March 2020. That is not an easy feat for actual ownership by the community.
Because our last strategic plan overlapped the pandemic for nearly half of its existence, and because we couldn’t engage ROC leaders in person for our next multi-year plan, the Board revised the plan for an 18-month period. But this plan is not a placeholder – it’s bold.
The plan readies ROC USA for significant growth through a new customer-centric organization structure. Moreover, ROC USA is:
- Tripling down on support of community leaders as drivers of the ROC movement in states and nationally
- Expanding development services – training and community financing – nationwide
- Aligning resources for resilient, safe, and healthy communities
- Taking a lead role in organizing capital to ensure access and lower borrowing costs for co-ops
- Launching a new online training platform that complements the work of affiliate staff on the ground
We are very excited about this next phase of our development. We invite you to dig into this plan to learn more about ROC USA’s mission to scale equitable resident ownership through community-driven change.