C R S P

COOPERATIVE TRAINING, EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH, AND DEMONSTRATION FOR RESILIENT AND REGENERATIVE COMMUNITIES.

THE ORGANIZATION PURCHASED A 40 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING IN MAY 1996 IN THE LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IT SERVES. THE BUILDING IS A CENTERPIECE IN THE AREA TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN RESIDENTS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT ALL KINDS OF COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULARLY ECOLOGICAL HOUSING CONVERSION TO PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE COOPERATIVE URBAN LIVING.A SECOND EIGHT UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING PURCHASED IN JANUARY 1999 EXPANDS THE PROGRAM.ON JULY 5, 2012, THESE BUILDINGS WERE SOLD BY CRSP TO URBAN SOIL/TIERRA URBANA (USTU), A CALIFORNIA PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION. USTU RECEIVED ITS 501C(3) TAX EXEMPT STATUS IN SEPTEMBER 2014. THE LAND ON WHICH THE BUILDINGS SIT WAS DONATED BY CRSP TO THE BEVERLY-VERMONT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST (BVCLT), A 501C(3) ORGANIZATION.CRSP, USTU AND THE BVCLT ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR MUTUAL PUBLIC INTEREST PURPOSES.IN ADDITION TO HOUSEHOLDS IN THE BUILDINGS AND NEIGHBORHOOD, AN ESTIMATED 200,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO, AND/OR DIRECTLY BENEFITTED FROM EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN HOW TO COOPERATIVELY AND SUSTAINABLY DEVELOP, MAINTAIN AND MANAGE NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTY AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF CO-OPS, AND PRACTICE MORE SUSTAINABLE URBAN LIVING PATTERNS.CRSP CLOSED ESCROW ON A THIRD APARTMENT BUILDING AT 140 BIMINI IN 2011. THIS BUILDING HAS FIVE UNITS. CRSP WAS A JOINT 50-50 OWNER ON THE PROPERTY WITH BVCLT, A 501C(3) ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PRESERVE AND PROVIDE LONG TERM RESIDENT CONTROLLED AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. CRSP PROVIDED THE FUNDS TO ACQUIRE THIS PROPERTY IN 2012, AND SOLD ITS UNAPPRECIATED FINANCIAL OWNERSHIP STAKE TO BVCLT IN OCTOBER 2016 WHEN BVCLT WAS ABLE TO GET A MORTGAGE ON THE PROPERTY.THE PROPERTY AT 140 BIMINI WAS TRANSFERRED TO BVCLT IN OCTOBER 2016 IN A TRANSACTION THAT INCLUDED CRSP'S PURCHASE OF THE PARCEL AT 3554/3560 WEST 1ST STREET AND THE CANCELLATION OF PRIOR CRSP DEBT INCURRED BY BVCT IN JULY 2012. THIS TRANSACTION RESULTED IN AN ADDITIONAL NON-CASH CONTRIBUTION BY CRSP TO BVCLT, REPRESENTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PURCHASE PRICE AND CRSP'S BASIS IN THE PROPERTY (PURCHASE PRICE, IMPROVEMENTS, DEPRECIATION RECAPTURE, LOAN BALANCE, AND DEFERRED INTEREST PAYABLE TO CRSP AT THE TIME OF THE TRANSACTION).CRSP ANTICIPATES THAT THE CONTAMINATED PROPERTY, A FORMER AUTO SHOP, AT 3554/3560 WEST 1ST STREET WILL CONTINUE TO BE PHASED INTO FULL SERVICE IN 2022-2023 AS AN ECOLOGICAL AND COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY CENTER SERVING THE LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS LOCATED, AS WELL AS THE CITY AT LARGE. IN ADDITION, THE PROPERTY WILL BE A RESEARCH CENTER FOR TRAINING NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES IN THE METHODS OF REMEDIATING TOXIC SOILS (BROWNFIELDS) IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS USING THE RESEARCH METHODS BEING DEMONSTRATED ON-SITE DURING 2021 THROUGH 2023 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE'S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY.

OUTREACH - CRSP ENGAGES IN REGULAR OUTREACH TO EXPAND PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF COOPERATIVES, THE PROCESSES FOR DEVELOPING COOPERATIVES, AND CRSP'S SERVICES. OUTREACH STRATEGIES INCLUDES SOCIAL MEDIA, FAIRS, EXPOS, FESTIVALS, WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES, AND THE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA, INCLUDING A MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER TO ITS 4,500 CONSTITUENTS ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES. CRSP ALSO MAKES PRESENTATIONS TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, CHURCH GROUPS, AND ACADEMIC GROUPS. OUTREACH IS PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE COOPERATIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE URBAN HOUSING AND LIVING PATTERNS FOR LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.CRSP HAS A WEB SITE TO EXPAND ITS FUNCTION AS A COOPERATIVE ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE AND INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE. THE SITE ALSO INCLUDES INFORMATION ON CRSP'S FOUR ASSOCIATED PROPERTIES IN THE TWO BLOCK NEIGHBORHOOD KNOWN AS THE LOS ANGELES ECOVILLAGE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.OTHER CRSP ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: - RESPONDING TO APPROXIMATELY 20 INQUIRIES WEEKLY FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC REQUESTING INFORMATION VIA PHONE, EMAIL, TEXT AND IN-PERSON INQUIRIES.- MAINTAINS A SPECIALIZED LENDING LIBRARY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC ON ALL ASPECTS OF URBAN COOPERATIVE ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.- SPONSORING IN-PERSON PUBLIC TALKS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS WITH PROMINENT EXPERTS IN THE DIVERSE FIELDS OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITY. THESE ACTIVITIES WERE SUBSTANTIALLY ON HOLD DURING MUCH OF 2021 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.- ECO-RETROFITTING OF THE 3554 W. 1ST STREET PROPERTY. IN JULY 2021, CRSP RECEIVED A $5,000 COVID RELIEF ACTIVITY.GRANT FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THIS MONEY WAS USED TO PAY AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR TO COORDINATE THE CONTINUED ECO-RETROFITTING OF THE FORMER AUTO SHOP, INCLUDING VOLUNTEER OUTDOOR WORK PARTIES, TENDING NUMEROUS DONATED POTTED PLANTS AND TREES TO BE USED IN TRAINING LOW INCOME NEIGHBORS TO COOPERATIVELY GROW FOOD IN POTS, AND THE REMOVAL OF APPROXIMATELY 3,000 SQUARE FEET OF ASPHALT IN PREPARATION FOR CRSP'S UPCOMING BIOREMEDIATION PROJECT OF THE TOXIC SOIL UNDER THE ASPHALT. THIS LAST PROJECT IS BEING LED BY A PHD CANDIDATE FROM UC RIVERSIDE'S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY.

INNOVATIVE OUTREACH FOR COLLABORATIVELY REDUCING ENERGY AND WATER USEIN 2021, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER AWARDED A $50,000 GRANT TO CRSP, $15,000 OF WHICH WAS GRANTED IN 2021 (AND THE BALANCE TO BE PAID IN 2022 AFTER COMPLETION OF THE GRANT PROGRAMS), TO PERFORM INNOVATIVE OUTREACH TO CRSP'S LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS FOR RESEARCH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION REGARDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WATER CONSERVATION TOWARD INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR CHANGE FOR INCREASING CONSERVATION, ESPECIALLY IN HELPING NEIGHBORS COLLABORATE FOR THOSE PURPOSES. CRSP DID OUTREACH TO ATTRACT NEIGHBORS TO ATTEND CRSP'S MONTHLY ENERGY AND WATER SAVING WORKSHOPS VIA ZOOM (BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC). CRSP PROVIDED QUARTERLY KARAOKE BIKE RIDES INTO LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO DRAW NEIGHBORS OUTSIDE TO MEET ONE ANOTHER AND LEARN ABOUT ENERGY AND WATER SAVING ACTIVITIES, AND WE PROVIDED QUARTERLY OUTDOOR TALENT SHOWS WITH ENERGY AND WATER SAVING TIPS. APPROXIMATELY 500 PERSONS PARTICIPATED IN THESE ACTIVITIES.- COMMUNITY ECOLOGICAL REVOLVING LOAN FUND - CRSP BORROWS MONEY FROM ITS CONSTITUENTS AT LOW INTEREST RATES TO ACQUIRE NEW PROPERTIES AND MAKE LOANS TO SMALL GREEN COOPERATIVELY ORIENTED BUSINESSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE L.A. ECOVILLAGE DEMONSTRATION NEIGHBORHOOD. . CRSP PAYS LENDERS BACK FROM THE INTEREST AND PRINCIPAL PAID ON MONIES IT HAS LENT OUT AND/OR NEW LOAN MONIES COMING IN. EXCESS MONIES REMAIN IN THE LOAN FUND THE LOAN FUND IS A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT, AND CRSP PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER SMALL ECOLOGICALLY ORIENTED COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WISH TO START SIMILAR FUNDS.