All donations go to the US/TU general fund.

The Urban Soil-Tierra Urbana (USTU) Limited Equity Housing Cooperative is a 501.c.3nonprofit corporation that owns 46 units of housing in two adjacent buildings within the two block Los Angeles Eco-Village (LAEV) neighborhood of Bimini and White House Place. Located in CD13 in the north end of Koreatown and within the Rampart Village Neighborhood Council district, the sustainable neighborhood demonstration project began in 1993, with the USTU co-op being activated in 2012. 

The vision for the LAEV is to reinvent how we live in the city by demonstrating lower environmental impact living patterns while raising the quality of community life. We do this by publicly demonstrating the integration of the social, environmental and economic systems of our community and neighborhood.Approximately 35 member-residents comprise an intentional community within the USTU buildings along with another 20 long term renters. Our households are very low to moderate income. We regularly demonstrate our sustainability processes through public tours, a variety of public workshops, presentations, fairs, conferences, maintaining are source library, working with neighborhood local schools and community organizations, and advising other individuals and neighborhoods on how to transition to more sustainable living patterns.

Ecological Sustainability: Examples of the free education and training opportunities we provide to our member residents, the broader neighborhood and the public at large from an ecological perspective include workshops, consultations and resources on permaculture, composting, gardening, grey water installations and other water conserving strategies, tree care, solar and energy conservation strategies, sustainable food systems, bicycle repair, green building materials, alternative transportation and waste reduction.

Economic Sustainability: From an economic perspective, we have provided free workshops, consultations and resources on housing cooperatives, community land trusts, time banking, small green business development, worker cooperatives, food cooperatives, and community loan funds.

Social Sustainability: Lastly, in the area of social sustainability, we provide free workshops, consultations and resources on cooperative governance, training in consensus decision-making, skill sharing, leadership development, meeting facilitation, health and healing, on-site conflict resolution services, interactive art and music workshops, neighborhood wide potluck dinners, neighborhood and city wide outreach via fairs and festivals, neighborhood clean-ups.Our member residents engage in these activities on a volunteer basis mutually supporting one another both within USTU as well as the public at large. 

Activities and events happen throughout the year, often scheduled based on the availability of the member residents leading the activity. We also hold a community meeting and community potluck on a weekly basis. The majority of activities take place in the L.A. Eco-Village neighborhood. Occasionally friends and guests of USTU provide a variety of education and training services to USTU residents at no charge to residents and the public.