Bloomington Cooperative Living (BCL) was founded in 2007 in Bloomington, Indiana in response to rising housing costs. BCL provides affordable housing to Bloomington, Indiana’s low-income and transient residents. BCL is more than a house–it is built-in community for residents and neighbors.
The housing coop operates four properties in Bloomington, all large single-family residences which Bloomington Cooperative Living converted to rooming houses. Hugh Farrell, BCL board member said “BCL has developed affordable housing, built up the community while supporting the environment. BCL houses graduate students, restaurant workers and folks coming off the street seeking stability through our collective structures.”
LEAF helped BCL rehab a dilapidated mansion once before–turning it into an 18-bedroom coop. That project was completed under budget, and residents began moving in March 2022.
“LEAF has made our two most recent expansions possible, and been supportive, walking residents through opaque processes of coop homeownership. LEAF loan officer, Josh Glickenhaus, has shared his expertise during long and stressful periods when a project could otherwise have gone off the rails.
As of this writing, BCL coop housing has 59 bedrooms with shared kitchens, gardens, and community rooms, all affordable for students and families to live and grow in Bloomington, Indiana. LEAF is proud to support cooperatives like BCL that make housing more affordable and community-based.
