About Argentina

Cooperative housing in Argentina has a long and complex history rooted in efforts to provide affordable and dignified housing for workers. Despite challenges stemming from economic instability and limited public support, housing cooperatives continue to play a vital role in addressing the country’s housing shortages. This overview examines key historical milestones, the legal framework governing cooperatives, and the ongoing efforts to overcome structural barriers and improve access to housing in Argentina.

Early History of Cooperative Housing in Argentina

The origins of cooperative housing in Argentina trace back to 1903 with the establishment of Sociedad Cooperativa La Paternal near Chacarita, Buenos Aires. This cooperative created a neighborhood specifically for workers, focusing solely on providing them with comfortable and affordable housing. The cooperative operated under strict rules, prohibiting any commercial activity with its capital. Shortly after, in 1905, the Cooperative El Hogar Obrero (EHO) was founded to provide credit to members for housing and other needs. EHO holds the distinction of being the first co-op registered in Argentina’s national cooperative registry.

The National Housing Fund (FONAVI)

Significant progress came with the enactment of Law 19.929 in 1972, which created the National Housing Fund (FONAVI). This law aimed to facilitate housing access for low-income individuals through cooperatives and non-profit organizations capable of demonstrating legal, financial, and administrative capacity. Under FONAVI, cooperatives were responsible for organizing housing demand, forming groups, pre-financing land, managing construction bids, supervising building projects, and delivering completed homes.

However, this supportive environment was short-lived. In 1977, Decree/Law 21,581 repealed the earlier law, excluding non-profit entities from fund benefits. Later, in 1994, a new law allowed only corporations—not cooperatives—to participate in housing financing.

Challenges Post-2001 Crisis

After Argentina’s 2001 economic and social crisis, housing programs were centralized under the Undersecretariat of Urban Development and Housing. Despite program integration, housing cooperatives remained marginalized due to bureaucratic hurdles and insufficient political support. As a result, cooperatives had limited access to public funds and relied heavily on their own resources and organizational capacity to carry out housing projects.

Current Cooperative Landscape

As of recent data, Argentina has 8,618 cooperatives with a total membership of approximately 17.8 million people. These cooperatives span various sectors, including agriculture, insurance, banking, and housing .coops4dev.coop

In the housing sector, the Self-Managed Housing Program (PAV), initiated in 2000, allows low-income housing cooperatives to access government-subsidized loans to build their own permanent housing. This program emphasizes self-management (autogestión), enabling organized collectives to produce housing themselves, bypassing commercial developers. nacla.org

In Buenos Aires, Law 341, passed in 2000, encourages the formation of housing cooperatives by providing government-financed, low-interest, thirty-year loans for land acquisition and construction. The law also mandates participatory design and planning by cooperative members and allocates funds for technical assistance. plannersnetwork.org

Government Support and PROCREAR

The Argentine government has acknowledged the cooperative housing sector’s importance through Decree No. 902 (2012), which established the PROCREAR Public Trust Fund. This fund aims to improve housing access and generate employment, representing one of the few enduring state policies supporting housing development. Although not explicitly named, housing cooperatives are implicitly included and have benefited to varying extents from this fund.

Legal Framework for Housing Cooperatives

Housing cooperatives operate under the general Cooperative Law No. 20,337 of 1973, as there is no specific legislation exclusively for housing cooperatives. The National Institute of Associativism and Social Economy (INAES) enforces cooperative law, while Resolution 56 of 1987 governs many operational aspects of housing cooperatives, though some updates may be needed to reflect the sector’s evolution.

Cooperatives create internal regulations based on their bylaws, governing the specifics of their operations. Legally, cooperative transactions with members are unique and not classified as typical commercial or civil contracts. The Supreme Court of Buenos Aires confirmed that cooperative activities are primarily regulated by cooperative law, supplemented by common law where applicable, emphasizing that cooperative relationships are inseparable from member relations.

Role in Addressing Housing Challenges

Argentina faces significant housing challenges, with an estimated 39.2% of the population living in poverty and more than 30% lacking adequate housing . Cooperative housing initiatives have been instrumental in addressing these issues by providing affordable housing solutions through collective ownership and self-management.habitat.org

Organizations like the Movimiento de Ocupantes e Inquilinos (MOI) have been at the forefront of promoting cooperative self-managed housing in Argentina. They advocate for housing as a right and emphasize the importance of collective ownership, democratic decision-making, and mutual aid in resisting neoliberal policies that threaten social rights and self-managed housing initiatives .radicalhousingjournal.org

Resources Tagged "Argentina"

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