Advancing Community Ownership Policy Through Multi-Sector Partnerships & Coalitions

Community Ownership organizations, such as housing co-operatives and community land trusts, often struggle to advance policy on their own. This research brief, conducted in partnership with The Community Ownership Learning & Action Lab at the University of Miami, examines how advocates can amplify their power by building strategic coalitions across sectors.

Drawing on interviews with community ownership practitioners around the country, the brief identifies concrete strategies for forging and maintaining partnerships. These diverse coalitions provide essential resources, political legitimacy, and geographic reach—while also creating space for organizations to take bolder positions than they can alone.

The research reveals that successful coalition-building is fundamentally about long-term relationship investment, skilled bridge-building leadership, and thoughtful policy design that creates benefits for multiple partners. The brief explores emerging challenges around coalition maintenance and offers practical implications for organizations navigating the tension between broad coalition goals and core community ownership priorities.