For some people, especially those in the Eastern Porirua community, the focus will be on their own co-operative and the housing in which they will live. Obviously, the leaders should be people who are respected within the community and also closely involved with housing. If possible, at least some if not all of the leaders should want their own housing to be part of the housing co-operative. The leaders will become the initial members of the group which runs the housing co-operative. The next decision is what type of housing co-operative.
Size is important.
A smaller co-operative looks easier to set up because you are dealing with fewer people. The resource and support issues need a different approach in order to have the co-operative support skills discussed on page 3 of this paper. For the Eastern Porirua project, it is also about getting the resources needed to set up first and second tier co-operatives for the first time. The second tier co-operative needs to operate as the servant of the first tier. To get the second tier co-operative working, the community leadership working at the first tier level will need to make a decision on whom they should work with as the establishment group for the second tier.