At Cooperative Housing International, we believe that access to reliable, practical, and global information strengthens the cooperative movement. This section provides a curated collection of external links relevant to housing cooperatives and the broader cooperative sector. Whether you’re looking for research, advocacy tools, sector-specific organisations, or international networks, these resources are intended to support cooperative leaders, researchers, developers, and members in their work.

To make navigation easier, we’ve organised these resources into themes and listed organisations alphabetically within each theme.

We regularly update this page to reflect the evolving needs and challenges of cooperative housing worldwide.

Global Cooperative Networks

• Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) A joint initiative between the UN and cooperative movement, COPAC promotes policy and technical cooperation for sustainable cooperative development.
• CoHabitat Network
  A global alliance of community-led housing groups and allies working on collective, non-speculative, people-led solutions. Features an open-source database of initiatives.
• International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)
  The global representative body for cooperatives across all sectors. CHI is one of ICA’s eight sectoral organisations.
• ICA Regions
  ICA is divided into four regional offices covering Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe to better coordinate and support local cooperative development.
• Solidarity Cities
  An initiative within the EUROCITIES network, launched to support inclusive urban responses to refugee and migration challenges.

Cooperative Housing & Development Initiatives

• Community Land Trusts
  A growing model from the U.S. and UK where land is held in trust by the community to ensure long-term affordable housing.
• Housing Europe
  The European Federation of Public, Cooperative and Social Housing, representing 43,000 providers managing over 26 million homes.
• Mutual Home Ownership (MHO)
  A UK-based initiative introducing a new housing tenure model to deliver affordable housing with shared ownership.
• Rooftops Canada / Abri International
  Canada’s international development program for co-op and social housing, focused on equitable global development.
• urbaMonde
  Supports sustainable cities built by and for inhabitants, facilitating civic-public partnerships and community-led urban projects.

United Nations Initiatives

• UN-Habitat
  The UN agency for human settlements, aiming to promote sustainable urban development and adequate housing for all.
• United Nations – International Year of Cooperatives 2012
  A year-long UN initiative celebrating the role of cooperatives in reducing poverty and fostering economic inclusion.
• United Nations- International Year of Cooperatives 2025
  Recently proclaimed to highlight cooperatives’ role in sustainable development and achieving the SDGs by 2030.

Education & Research Institutions

• Centre for Cooperative and Community-Based Economy: University of Victoria 
  Promotes cooperative research and learning through collaboration with academia, government, and civil society.
• Centre for the Study of Cooperatives – University of Saskatchewan
  An interdisciplinary institute researching cooperatives’ role in the economy and society since 1984.
• Euricse (European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises)
  A research centre promoting innovation in cooperative and social enterprise sectors.

• International Centre for Co‑operative Management– Saint Mary’s University The Centre elevates the global cooperative sector through education, research and knowledge dissemination.

• UK Centre for Cooperative Studies (University College Cork)
  Offers education, training, and research in cooperative organisation and development.

Archives, Media & Publications

• Cooperative News
  A platform for international cooperative reporting and commentary from the world’s oldest cooperative newspaper.
• UK National Cooperative Archive
  Home to rare books, manuscripts, photos, and film documenting the evolution of the cooperative movement.
• Rochdale Pioneers Museum
  Preserves the birthplace of the modern cooperative movement and showcases its founding principles.
• Promoting Cooperatives  (ILO Guide)
  An information guide to ILO Recommendation 193, providing a framework for cooperative-friendly national policy.