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Solidarity economy

A solidarity economy restructures ownership so that key assets are held and stewarded collectively, and restructures governance so that those most affected directly shape decisions at every level. Ownership becomes less about individual domination and more about shared stewardship, while governance shifts from top‑down control to democratic, participatory self‑management.

How ownership is restructured

From private property to shared stewardship

Community land trusts, co‑ops and public‑common partnerships hold land, housing, and infrastructure in trust for present and future residents, decoupling them from speculative markets.

Ownership is reframed as a bundle of rights (use, benefit, decision, transfer) that can be shared between individuals and a wider community, rather than a single absolute right to exclude.

Multi‑stakeholder and community ownership

Solidarity economy entities (co‑ops, mutuals, associations) often include workers, users, residents and community groups as co‑owners with formal membership rights.

Community ownership of real estate, energy and other assets shifts wealth, security and control away from banks and corporations to people historically harmed by extraction and disinvestment.

Locking in public/common benefit

Legal and financial structures (asset locks, resale restrictions, 999‑year leases, mission‑driven constitutions) prevent privatisation and speculative windfalls, ensuring assets remain in the commons.

Surpluses (rents, profits) are treated as shared social wealth, reinvested into community needs and new commons assets rather than distributed as maximised private returns.

How governance is restructured

Democratic and participatory decision‑making

Solidarity economy organisations embed “one person, one vote” (or other egalitarian rules) and participatory processes so that stakeholders co‑decide strategy, budgets and use of surpluses.

Governance forums (assemblies, committees, working groups) are open to members and often use deliberative or consensus‑oriented methods rather than purely managerial decision‑making.

Multi‑forum, layered governance

Models such as Public‑Common Partnerships create several democratic spaces: a Commoners Association (community members), public authorities, and other stakeholders (e.g. unions, experts) co‑govern shared enterprises.

Governance is nested: neighbourhood or project‑level bodies control day‑to‑day matters, while federated structures coordinate across regions without centralising power.

Self‑management and shared responsibility

Social and solidarity economy entities are defined by self‑management: workers and community members collectively manage operations, rather than being directed solely by external owners or state managers.

Training, political education and leadership development are treated as core functions, enabling people to build the skills needed to govern their own economic institutions.

Shifting power in practice

Who controls capital and assets

Capital is pooled through community investment, cooperative finance, and public funds directed into community‑owned vehicles, so that communities “control the capital” that shapes their places.

Property rights are redistributed so that eviction, redevelopment, and disposition decisions cannot be made unilaterally by absentee owners, but must pass through democratic community processes.

Whose interests are centred

Governance rules and ownership forms are explicitly designed to prioritise those most affected by inequality and extraction (e.g. racialised communities, low‑income residents, tenants, workers).

Equity, care, and ecological sustainability are elevated as core mandates in charters and statutes, not just ethical add‑ons, aligning everyday decision‑making with life‑affirming goals.

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