CoHabitat.io is an open, collaborative platform designed to document and connect community-led housing projects worldwide. It originates from the CoHabitat Network, a global initiative of community-led housing organizations and allies, facilitated by the Swiss non-profit urbaMonde. The platform serves as a resource for individuals and organizations to explore, document, and share various community housing projects, showcasing models that prioritize collective, non-speculative, and sustainable solutions to housing challenges.
The database on CoHabitat.io allows users to discover projects by country and filter them through tags such as financing, land use, management, and planning. It emphasizes crowdsourced storytelling and data collection, often led by youth, to highlight the diversity of housing solutions and the challenges faced by these initiatives. The platform also facilitates connections between stakeholders, enabling knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and the development of financial tools for scaling community-led housing solutions.
Beyond its function as a database, the CoHabitat Network organizes international forums, workshops, and awards to celebrate innovative housing projects. It also manages initiatives like the Habitat Solidarity Fund to address the financial barriers faced by community-led housing. By integrating financial, technical, and political support, the platform aims to foster permanently affordable, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments.
CoHabitat.io represents a grassroots approach to urban development, leveraging collective action and solidarity to meet pressing housing needs globally. It supports a vision where communities are empowered as designers, developers, and active contributors to shaping their neighborhoods.