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About Costa Rica

Historical Development

The cooperative movement in Costa Rica dates back to 1943, when the first Labour Code recognized cooperatives as essential to promoting popular culture and democracy. This commitment was further solidified in the 1949 Political Constitution, which mandates state support for cooperatives to improve workers’ living conditions. The enactment of Law 4179 in 1968 established the “Law on Cooperative Associations” and created the National Cooperative Development Institute (INFOCOOP), providing a robust legal framework for cooperative growth.

Current Landscape

As of 2012, Costa Rica had 594 registered cooperatives, including 376 adult cooperatives and 218 school and student cooperatives. These cooperatives employed approximately 17,599 individuals and had around 860,855 members, representing about 21% of the national population. coops4dev.coop

While specific data on housing cooperatives is limited, the cooperative model has been instrumental in providing affordable housing solutions, particularly for low- and middle-income families.

Legal Framework

Costa Rica’s cooperative sector operates under a comprehensive legal structure:

  • Constitutional Support: Article 64 of the 1949 Constitution emphasizes the state’s role in promoting cooperatives.smu.ca

  • Law 4179: This law defines the nature of cooperative societies, granting them benefits such as tax exemptions and legal advantages.

INFOCOOP serves as the primary institution overseeing cooperative development, offering technical assistance, training, and financial support.

Resources Tagged "Costa Rica"

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Financing and Development Global Report
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Public Cooperative Housing Policies: An International Perspective

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Financing Co-operative and Mutual Housing

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Logement abordable : profils de cinq villes métropolitaines

Par cette publication, nous souhaitons ouvrir le débat sur le logement en tant que droit fondamental et enjeu métropolitain, en mettant en lumière l’expérience de grandes métropoles et dans l’espoir d’inspirer des idées nouvelles pour aborder cet enjeu absolument fondamental de l’urbanisation moderne.Read More

Advocacy Global
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Building Strong Development Cooperation: Partnership Opportunities between Cooperatives and the EU

In 2000, United Nations (UN) member states recognised the need to build global partnerships for development and the exchange of expertise as one of the Millennium Development Goals. Across the international development field, part ...Read More

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Raising Capital: The Capital Conundrum for Co-operatives

New report: The Capital Conundrum for Co-operatives "The Capital Conundrum for Co-operatives", a new report released by the Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Commission explores ideas and options available to co-operatives that need suitab ...Read More

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Financing Housing Co-operatives in a Credit Crunch

Financing the development of housing co-operatives is a challenge and more so in time of financial restrictions and uncertainty.  CHI members discussed the issue during a seminar held in November 2009 in Geneva.  Presentations w ...Read More

Financing and Development Global
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What’s new in Sustainable Forest Management?

 The Forest Products Annual Market Review 2013 reports that the development of new refinement processes has led to the production of new and more affordable wood based products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT). The report sta ...Read More

Sustainability Global
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The Guidance Notes on the Co-operative Principles

Updated Guidance Notes on the Co-operative Principles, edited by David Rodgers, former President of Co-operative Housing InternationalRead More

Governance Global
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Promoting Cooperatives – International Labour Organization (ILO) Recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Cooperatives

The ILO views cooperatives as important in improving the living and working conditions of women and men globally as well as making essential infrastructure and services available even in areas neglected by the state and investor-driven enterprises. Cooperatives have a proven record of creating and sustaining employment – they provide over 100 million jobs today; they advance the ILO’s Global Employment Agenda and contribute to promoting decent work.Read More

Legal Global
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Profiles of a Movement: Co-operative Housing around the World – Volume One

Cooperative housing offers long-term, affordable homes governed by residents, with proven social, economic, and environmental benefits. Despite its global impact, the sector remains under-recognized.Read More

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Students and Housing Cooperatives

Student housing cooperatives have become very popular in the USA and many of these housing co-operatives are members of organizations such as NASCO. Unlike a resident who acquires shares at market rates to earn the right to occupy ...Read More

Community Global
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Good Governance Charter for Housing Co-operatives

 The Good Governance Charter for Housing Co-operatives was launched at the ICA Housing Plenary in Manchester in November 2012.It has three parts:A 10-point set of good governance practicesAn interpretive statement for each good p ...Read More

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Profiles of a Movement: Co-operative Housing around the World – Volume Two

This second volume of Housing Co-operative Profiles focuses on African countries, showcasing the ingenuity and commitment of cooperators working under difficult conditions. It offers insights into the legal, financial, and historical contexts of housing co-ops, aiming to inspire broader adoption of the model as a solution to the global housing crisis.Read More

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The Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade and its Special Application to the Housing Sector

The Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade is a worldwide campaign to “take the co-operative way of doing business to a new level”. The five key elements of the Blueprint are participation, sustainability, identity, legal frameworks and capital. The Blueprint is particularly relevant to co-operative housing and the Blueprint interpretation for co-operative housing below explains how.Read More

Governance Global
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