Community-led housing: a concrete response to COVID-19

UrbaMonde and We Effect conducted a study on this question worldwide.

Despite the fact that the sample of respondents to the survey is quite small and non representative it permits to observer the following tendencies about the COVID-19 response. Cooperative Housing and CLT, as well as individual property cohousing initiatives show important benefits for their inhabitants in these times compared with irregular housing situations, borrowed or rental housing, and standard individual property:

• Security of land tenure: these models offer higher protection from evictions, foreclosure or necessity of moving to another place even if people lose part of their incomes (security funds, collective credit payback, monthly payback proportional to incomes, negotiation capacity with funders…).

• Income generation: previously organized groups for saving and housing are more likely to get together to create a emerging income-generating activity to adapt to job losses and economic crises (soap and masks production, buying food to neighbours.

• Solidarity activities: neighbours know each other (struggled together for housing, participate in assemblies, committees and activities…), they know vulnerable situations and can easily trust and help each other (ill, elderly, children, jobless, etc.).

• Together against isolation: collective activities help reducing the charge of tasks, especially on women, but also help emotionally and psychologically to prevent isolation, loneliness, stress and depression.

▶ Download the full study in English here (PDF, 18.9 Mo)

The study is also available in French, in Spanish and in Portuguese brasileiro HD - brasileiro ligero.