e80: de-commodify housing, at scale, and giving residents control and stability w/Levent Kerimol
Housing does not have to be a speculative asset. Levent Kerimol makes the case for a different model—one that gives residents real control, keeps homes affordable over time, and helps community-led housing grow without losing its local character.Levent is the founder of Collective Ownership, a secondary housing cooperative built on eight years of community-led housing work. In this conversation, he explains why resident-led housing projects can stall before they get started—and how a two-tier cooperative structure can reduce friction and risk, helping groups move from idea to acquisition.You’ll discover: What a secondary housing cooperative is and why it matters How collective ownership gives residents a say in repairs, governance, and daily decisions Why decommodifying housing means more than lowering rents How cost-based charges can help sustain long-term affordability How a central body can help cooperatives borrow more affordably and grow sustainably The conversation also explores a deeper tension at the heart of the housing crisis: homes are increasingly treated as financial products, while stability, belonging, and resident control are pushed aside. Levent explains how community-led housing can protect those priorities while working within the realities of finance, regulation, and growth.He makes the practical case for acquiring existing homes rather than relying only on new development, discusses the climate benefits of reusing buildings, and identifies policy changes that could help the model spread—from grant funding barriers to stamp duty rules.If you care about housing, affordability, community, climate, or the future of ownership, this is an essential conversation about what homes are for—and how we might make them work better for the people who live in them. Find out more and support Collective Ownership here
