Building a Co-operative Community in Public Housing: The Case of the Atkinson Housing Co-operative

Abstract

Building a Co-operative Community in Public Housing: The Case of the Atkinson Housing Co-operative. By Jorge Sousa. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2013. 272 pp. ISBN 9780802038036.In 1973, amendments were made to the National Housing Act that encouraged collaboration between the Canadian government and nonprofit organizations in the housing sector. More recently, in the face of dwindling government support for public and social housing and an increasing demand for affordable accommodations, the role of the social economy in this sector has come to the fore. Increasingly, co-operative organizations have been recognized as an integral part of the social economy, while groups of residents in public or private housing have, in some cases, made arrangements to assume co-ownership of the properties in which they reside.An illustrative example of this emerging phenomenon is the conversion of the Alexandra Park public housing project in downtown Toronto into the Atkinson Housing Co-operative. Jorge Sousa has diligently captured this transition in Building a Co-operative Community in Public Housing: The Case of the Atkinson Housing Co-operative. The aim of this book, as Sousa explains clearly, is practical: to describe the establishment of the Atkinson Housing Co- operative through an ethnographic lens in order to draw out insights gained in the conversion process. In doing so, Sousa hopes to explain how this case-the first of its kind in Canada-unfolded. He also aims to establish a framework that may be employed to assist other communities in similar circumstances; it is referred to as the Framework for Community-Based Control.The author convincingly argues that the set of principles and policies that govern the work of public housing-which consistently place little faith in the capacity of the residents themselves and aim to cut as many costs as possible- are disempowering for the local population and subvert the processes of community building. As a former resident who was involved in the conversion of Alexandra Park, Sousa explicitly states his belief in the positive ramifications of increasing tenant control over decision-making within public housing.Sousa adapts and synthesizes several community development models and key elements of diverse bodies of academic literature, such as political sociology and co-operative studies, to construct a theoretical lens with which to interpret pivotal events surrounding the conversion. The integration of various theories to describe a complex phenomenon is a clear strength of the book, as is the ability to identify and analyze critical elements that explain the conversion process without getting lost in the details.The two central chapters, which provide an overview of some three decades of the history of Alexandra Park, capture key events linked to the conversion process, as well as the ambiguities that surrounded it. The reader learns, for instance, how Sonny Atkinson, after whom the co-operative was named, rallied the community to tackle the drug problems and security issues that the housing authority seemed to be doing little about. His methods were, however, considered controversial by some. When Atkinson learned of the possibility of converting the housing project into a co-operative, he orchestrated a new focus in the struggle against the housing authority. The outcome, which was finally established in 2003, was a hybrid between the co-operative and public housing models. Generally speaking, the narrative is fairly presented, and challenges are given due attention.The lessons learned are then synthesized and coherently presented. Drawing from its theoretical lens, the book elaborates on the Framework for Community-Based Control and its five components: community assets, building capacity, demonstrating capacity, critical consciousness, and goal attainment. …