WP 136 | 25 Housing Needs and Cooperative Housing models: a scoping review
The growing affordability crisis has renewed interest in cooperative housing as an alternative to conventional housing. This scoping review explores traditional and emerging cooperative models across Europe, highlighting their potential to address affordability and resident needs. Traditional ownership and rental cooperatives have shown success in delivering affordable housing in different European contexts. Newer models respond to residents’ evolving preferences regarding community engagement, social inclusion and sustainable development. The review maps existing research on cooperative housing, identifying key themes, trends, and gaps. It also includes innovative examples of cooperative projects in European cities. Findings stress the role of innovative financing, partnerships with municipalities and the social services sector, and non-speculative land use in sustaining cooperative models. Despite their promise, cooperatives face challenges around inclusivity, financial stability and resident participation. The review concludes with policy recommendations to scale cooperative housing while preserving its core values of social justice and democratic governance.
This paper was produced within the scope of the project “Housing needs and housing cooperatives”, conducted by Euricse with the support of the Autonomous Province of Trento.
JEL Codes
L31; O18; R31; R38; R58
