Can housing cooperatives contribute to reintegrating former combatants into civil society? Can they evolve into a broader housing strategy for marginalised communities? What conditions are necessary for their sustainable growth within national housing systems? This research project examines the emergence of bottom-up housing cooperative initiatives by former combatants in post-conflict Colombia and El Salvador and their ability to negotiate a space within national housing systems.
Housing cooperatives emerged in 19th-century Europe and expanded significantly in the 20th century, particularly after both World Wars, as they assumed a key role in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and reconstruction. Recently, following the global financial crisis and the decline of state involvement in housing provision, cooperatives are being rediscovered as a viable alternative for affordable, non-speculative housing. However, despite their potential, little empirical research exists on their role in contemporary post-conflict reconstruction.
Empirical Research on Housing Cooperatives is Necessary
To understand the relevance of cooperatives in these contexts, this research analyses the broader housing policies and socioeconomic conditions in Colombia and El Salvador. While housing cooperatives have historical roots in Latin America, only in Uruguay have they developed into a large-scale social movement. The cooperative initiatives in Colombia and El Salvador have drawn inspiration from Uruguay but face distinct economic, political, and institutional challenges. Their long-term viability depends on adapting the model to local realities and developing stable institutional support. The project focuses on three key dimensions:
- the socioeconomic and institutional context of these cooperatives,
- their organizational structure and members’ values, and
- their potential to create sustainable and inclusive housing solutions.
Three Doctoral Projects
Conducted by an interdisciplinary team at ETH Wohnforum and the National University of Colombia, the research involves three PhD projects. One examines the institutional and organisational challenges of Colombian collaborative forms of housing. Another takes an interactive approach by formulating pilot projects informed by global case studies to inform collaborative housing policies in Colombia. The third investigates Salvadoran housing cooperatives, exploring their role in politicising housing across private, community, and public spheres.
By providing empirical insights, this research aims to contribute to understanding housing cooperatives as a tool for social reintegration and equitable housing in post-conflict societies.
A research project conducted by the ETH WOHNFORUM and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation SPIRIT grant.
Dr. Jennifer Duyne Barenstein is the Executive Director of the ETH Centre for Research on Architecture Society and the Built Environment and of the ETH MAS in Housing. She is a social anthropologist specialising in the socioeconomic, cultural and institutional aspects of housing and urbanisation processes, and post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction. Her current research projects focus on housing cooperatives in Europe and in Latin America and explore opportunities and challenges of replicating and scaling up best housing practices in different socioeconomic, cultural, and political contexts.
Daniela Sanjinés has been a researcher at the ETH Wohnforum and lecturer of the MAS ETH in Housing since 2018. Currently she is pursuing a PhD within the framework of the SNSF funded project titled “Negotiating space for housing cooperatives in Latin America. The case of post-conflict Colombia and El Salvador”.
