The CHI Annual Conference 2026: Growing Cooperative Housing is a focused housing session convened by Cooperative Housing International (CHI) as part of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) global and regional meetings in Panama City, Panama.15 Taking place on 17 September 2026 from 15:00 to 17:30 EST at the Panama Convention Center, with parallel online participation, it is designed as a platform for international exchange on cooperative housing practice and policy.14
The event’s purpose is to connect experiences from different regions and examine how housing cooperatives contribute to affordable, inclusive and resilient communities.1 The session specifically aims to show how housing can act as a bridge between legal frameworks, community structures and residents’ everyday lives, linking regulation, governance and social outcomes.1 It is framed within the broader ICA conference theme of building bridges across the cooperative movement and responds to renewed global interest in cooperative housing as countries confront market pressures and changing housing needs.15
The target audience includes practitioners and leaders from housing cooperatives, cooperative federations, policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders participating in the ICA global and regional meetings, as well as interested participants joining online.15 CHI is collaborating with regional and local partners to ensure that the programme reflects housing priorities in Panama, Latin America and the wider cooperative movement.1 Key topics expected to be addressed include: models of cooperative housing development in different regions; legal and institutional frameworks enabling or constraining cooperative housing; strategies to maintain affordability and inclusion; and mechanisms to strengthen international cooperation and mutual learning among housing co-ops.135