The Minnesota Coalition for Community-Owned Real Estate (MC-CORE) exists to expand and strengthen community ownership of real estate throughout Minnesota.
 

We believe the people most affected by development decisions should have a meaningful voice in shaping them and should share in the economic value they create. Through cooperative ownership models, community investment funds, and other democratic ownership structures, we work to ensure that residents, tenants, workers, and local stakeholders can participate directly in the ownership, governance, and long-term stewardship of the places they call home.
 

MC-CORE is a collaborative network of cooperatives, nonprofits, public agencies, community organizations, and mission-driven businesses working together to build the infrastructure necessary for community ownership to thrive. By pooling resources, expertise, and relationships, we support the development and growth of community-owned real estate through three interconnected strategies:
 

• Funding & Capital Access — expanding access to the financial resources and investment tools needed to launch, preserve, and grow community-owned projects.
   

• Public Policy & Ecosystem Building — advancing policies, partnerships, and institutional support systems that recognize and strengthen democratic ownership models.
   

• Shared Services for Stronger Operations — creating opportunities for organizations to share knowledge, resources, technical expertise, and operational capacity in pursuit of long-term sustainability.
   

We define community-owned real estate through three essential principles: broad and accessible membership, democratic governance, and equitable participation in the economic value created by the enterprise. Together, these principles create ownership structures that are accountable to communities, rooted in local stewardship, and designed to serve long-term community interests rather than short-term extraction.
 

Our coalition exists because we believe communities are stronger when ownership is local, decision-making is democratic, and the benefits of development are shared. Through education, collaboration, advocacy, and practical implementation, we are working to build an economy in which communities are not merely impacted by development—but are active participants in owning, governing, and benefiting from it.
 

By connecting people, organizations, and resources across Minnesota, MC-CORE seeks to accelerate the growth of community ownership and demonstrate that democratic models of real estate development can create more resilient neighborhoods, stronger local economies, and lasting community wealth for generations to come.