You might have encountered co-op housing while in college. But proponents of the member-run organizations point out they can serve a much wider population — especially in a place like Austin, where the population and prices continue to steadily climb. There are many different cooperative models, including efforts to run co-ops a bit more like businesses, deriving revenue from investments instead of relying on grants or donations. “It’s not just a hippie thing,” one co-op proponent said. “It’s something that’s competitive. It’s something that’s innovative. It’s something that taps into kind of the human needs for community, but also the human need for stability.”