By joining a cooperative, Ola was able to get into what later became an individually-owned housing development which over time grew to be a vital community and support network.

In the aftermath of the collapse of communism and the rising prosperity of the 1990s, Ola, disillusioned by the old soviet-style housing blocks and the unaffordability of better living conditions, heard of a small democratically-run housing cooperative – Green Meadow.

The Homeowner Association Green Meadow consolidated member resources and built houses at a lower price, allowing Ola and others to become homeowners – some of them for the very first time. The cooperative members began to bond over the first winter, as they cleared snow from their driveways.

Over time, the community’s picnics, children’s playdates and small talk turned into true friendships. For Ola, cooperatives are all about building community, and that is the highest value. It is not only about investment, not only about houses, but first of all, about people… I feel like I am part of a big family.