Visions for Our Collective Future (Visions) is a Community Ownership Series of workshops providing a shared education experience. The Series involved Sessions I (Sunday Oct. 23rd), II (Sunday Jan. 22nd), and III (Sunday April 2nd) and concluded earlier this month. Sessions 1-3 are an exploratory period and have been designed as a part of Phase I.

Phase I: (October 2022 to April 2023) Exploratory 

In Phase I, we have explored the definitions of community ownership, cooperative practices, community land trusts, and Mixed Income Neighborhood Trusts. We also learned about how these models work with participation from local and national partners who are deeply invested in shared ownership. We continually are asking each other an important collective question, “What Does Community Ownership Look Like on the West Side”? 

Phase II: Decision Making (Spring 2023 - Fall 2023)

At the close of Session 3 which wrapped up the last activity for Phase I, we recapped each Session I-III and have moved towards three outcomes that we want to see on the West Side. First, to continue the input from Sessions I-III, WSCO will organize with resident leaders, a Community Ownership Focus Group that centers marginalized experiences (especially renters) to continue the work developed out of the workshops. Secondly, the Community Ownership Focus Group will take on crafting a vision to activate the Baker Lot (WSCO Owned property at 76 Baker St. E.) long term plan and to decide a plan towards acquiring land on the West Side to be held for dignified permanently affordable housing opportunities.

Phase III: Implementation (Fall 2023 - 2024)

The Implementation Phase will be a resident-led planning process to involving the Community Ownership Focus Group, WSCO Staff, the broader West Side resident leaders, and the City of Saint Paul to secure funding, design, and develop land at the Baker Lot and at a to-be-determined location (or locations) fit for the West Side to establish property that is permanently dignified and affordable housing long term.

Want to get involved? Contact Kai Andersen, Equitable Development Director at WSCO: [email protected]