Hasten Slowly, and You Will Soon Arrive

With roots in the women's movement of the late 1800s, group equity co-ops have continued against the odds for almost 150 years, finding ways to create both affordable housing and community across North America.

Group equity co-ops are solidly rooted in the Chicago area, first rising as a practical solution to the very real needs of nineteenth-century single women. But this self-help approach eventually became an important option for anyone with financial need.

"We'll do it ourselves" became a particularly strong rallying cry during the Great Depression, when out of desperate necessity, students and others found ways to independently meet their housing and dining needs through group action. With grit and sheer determination, co-ops found ways to purchase and even build houses, harnessing both entrepreneurial skills and idealistic beliefs to begin expansion-oriented, scattered site systems from California and British Columbia to Halifax and Florida.

Today, more than ten thousand members of group equity housing co-ops share ownership and a strong sense of community from coast to coast. NASCO, the North American Students of Cooperation, and its affiliates provide education and training, consulting, and even a continent wide housing trust for ownership. The organization runs inter-cooperative loan programs, offers internships, and hosts the annual Cooperative Education and Training Institute, which attracts hundreds of co-op members and staff each year.

This model of cooperative housing has grown from renting rooming houses to ownership of property worth millions of dollars, but it has only scratched the surface of what can be achieved. The group equity movement has "hastened slowly" toward a distant destination, guided by its ever-changing members, and it seems certain to continue for years to come.

This book is the story of that journey.

Please note: If your co-op or organization is interested in buying a large quantity of books for a discounted price, please email katherine@nasco.coop to set up a bulk pricing option.

Contribution Amount

One copy of "Hasten Slowly" (US only) - $ 31.00

One copy of "Hasten Slowly" (outside of US) - $ 55.00

One box (16 copies) of "Hasten Slowly" (US only) - $ 380.00

One box (16 copies) of "Hasten Slowly" (outside of US) - $ 420.00

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All orders for "Hasten Slowly, and You Will Soon Arrive" placed prior to April 1, 2020 will be mailed out on April 24, 2020. Please allow 2 weeks processing for all orders placed after April 1, 2020.

"Hasten Slowly" is available for a minimum donation of $25 + S&H to NASCO. 50% of proceeds will go towards NASCO's Jim Jones Fund, established in 2009 to honor James R. Jones, a long-time NASCO member, educator, and cooperative developer, for his commitment to NASCO and cooperative development. The Fund's purpose is to promote leadership in housing, worker, and all types of student cooperatives throughout North America by providing financial support to individuals seeking to attend or organize workshops, seminars, conferences, courses, institutes, and other cooperative leadership development opportunities. 50% of funds will go directly to author Jim Jones.