Looking for solutions that address your rural community’s housing needs? Wondering how to work through the specific challenges of working in sparsely populated areas across large geographies? Is your community struggling with population decline? Conversely, is your community challenged by rapid development that is crowding out local residents from their own land and homes?
Join the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF)’s Affordable Housing Initiative on August 14, 2025 from 2-3:30 pm EDT to explore how shared equity housing models such as limited equity co-ops, community owned real estate co-ops, ROCs (resident owned communities of manufactured homes), and other models can help rural communities meet their housing needs on their terms.
Meet the speakers
John Bannon
Local Food Coordinator, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs | Western Illinois University
John currently serves as Local Food Coordinator at the Value-Added Sustainable Development Center (VASDC), part of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University. In this role, he leads efforts to strengthen regional food systems through the Regional Food Economic Development (ReFED) initiative. This initiative focuses on equipping local food producers with essential business planning tools and training opportunities to help them grow their operations and successfully transition to wholesale markets. His work supports sustainable economic development by promoting local food networks and empowering small-scale agricultural producers.
In addition to his work with local food, John is an educator, teaching a graduate-level course in advanced community development theory and practice, where he brings real-world insights into the classroom and mentors the next generation of community development professionals.
John is also involved in the housing sector, where he conducts research, authors reports and collaborates with partners to help rural and small-town communities tackle complex housing issues. His work includes needs assessments, strategic planning and securing funding for critical housing projects.
Nicole Borner
Cooperative Development Specialist, Montana Cooperative Development Center
Nicole Borner is a lifelong Montanan committed to rural economic development and cooperative solutions. She grew up in Roundup, where she raised her daughter and ran a successful small business for more than 14 years. Her public service includes two years on the Roundup City Council and six years as a Musselshell County Commissioner, advocating for coal-impacted communities.
Now a Cooperative Development Specialist with the Montana Cooperative Development Center, Nicole focuses on opportunity development cooperatives, housing cooperatives and worker conversions; and has authored toolkits on investment and worker conversion cooperatives. She also co-authored a statewide rural housing cooperative study and supports cooperative education and initiatives across Montana.
Nicole brings experience in public-private partnerships, education and technical assistance. She presents statewide and nationally on how cooperatives can build rural resilience. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, hot springs, music festivals and time with her pets, family and friends.
Kate Redman
Co-Founder, Commongrounds Cooperative | Executive Director, Commongrounds Foundation
Kate is a community enterprise attorney and organizer. She co-founded Commongrounds Cooperative, a community-owned real estate cooperative located in Traverse City, Michigan. The Commongrounds pilot project is a mixed-use building that co-locates workforce housing with nonprofits and small businesses focused on food, family, arts and wellness. She currently serves as the executive director of the Commongrounds Foundation, a sister 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed to incubate future community-driven real estate with an emphasis on affordable housing and childcare.
Kate’s areas of legal specialty include collaborative governance and legal and tax structure for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, real estate cooperatives, and hybrid nonprofit/for-profit entities. She is a member of the Sustainable Economies Law Center legal fellows program and a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, the Ford School of Public Policy, and Princeton University.
Kate spends her free time with her family and friends and soaking up the many joys of northern Michigan—trail running, kayaking, biking, skiing, camping, or just meandering along a beachy forest trail somewhere.