Support the development of housing cooperatives in Nicaragua

The project is centred on the technical support to the cooperatives that grow in the department of Matagalpa, in coordination with the cooperative movement at the national level.

Housing co-operatives are Nicaragua to contribute to give effect to the right to decent housing thanks to the principles of self-management, mutual aid and collective ownership, which help address the real-estate speculation, reduce costs and strengthen the community organization and social cohesion.

The project in brief

The housing shortage in Nicaragua particularly affects low-income families who are facing job losses, both formal and informal. Housing cooperatives, based on self-management, mutual aid, and collective ownership, help to combat property speculation, guarantee the right to adequate housing, reduce costs, and strengthen social cohesion. The participation of cooperative members, as actors in the organisation, management, and construction of their homes and neighbourhoods, transforms their power to act and strengthens their capacities at all levels. Housing cooperatives offer inclusive and supportive spaces, with a particular focus on the participation of women, young people and the elderly. MULTIPRO, a local professional services cooperative, was identified in 2013 as a field partner, particularly for its interest in the CVAM (mutual aid housing cooperatives) model developed by FUCVAM in Uruguay. In the department of Matagalpa, MULTIPRO is currently working with seven housing cooperatives in four municipalities: Matagalpa, San Dionisio, La Dalia, and Esquipulas.

Activities

• Access to land and housing
  • 4 biannual exchanges of experiences between cooperatives in Matagalpa
  • 6 capacity-building meetings for cooperative members.

• Social and environmental economy
  • 1 training workshop on building bamboo infrastructure (community centre, library, kiosk)
  • Construction of 2 bamboo community structures in two housing cooperatives
  • 3 workshops on nurseries and crops
  • Establishment of 3 vegetable gardens

• Promoting the cooperative model and disseminating the achievements of the cooperative movement
  • 1 forum with cooperatives from other departments.
  • National and international fundraising campaigns.
  • Publication of videos on three digital platforms.
  • Development of public policy proposals relating to housing cooperatives.

• Continuing education for cooperative members on the fundamentals of cooperativism and gender perspectives
  • Completion of three modules of the Cooperative Training School.

• Ongoing technical support for cooperatives in administrative, accounting, and construction processes
  • Monthly visits to cooperatives for financial and organisational monitoring
  • Technical tasks related to construction (topography, plans, etc.).
• Strengthening the technical team through specialised training and experience sharing
  • Exchange of experiences for two technicians in Central America on the topics of cooperativism, popular education, and local materials.
  • Internship for two technicians at FUCVAM.
  • Six training workshops on social skills (teamwork, interpersonal communication, emotion management, etc.).
  • Participation in international events outside Latin America.

Completed by early 2025

Technical assistance to cooperatives and training for their members: Support for six cooperatives through monthly visits, thematic workshops (financial management, administration, leadership, gender, and violence prevention), and training based on popular education. By early 2025, seven cooperatives had been consolidated, seven of which owned their land, five thanks to the revolving fund set up by the project, one thanks to land made available by the municipality, and another thanks to its members’ savings. Four cooperatives have fully repaid their loans. Two cooperatives have successfully built houses; the others are awaiting funding.

Strengthening MULTIPRO: Continuing education in solidarity economics and accounting, internships for students, and exchanges with regional technical teams.

Local building materials (adobe and bamboo): exchanges, workshops, local and national promotion. Launch of eco-neighbourhood projects and documentation. Reflection on the use of local materials continues. Following difficulties encountered with adobe construction, this is being expanded to include experiments with the use of bamboo in collaboration with the C. E. N. (Centro de entendimiento de la naturaleza), an expert centre based in Matagalpa.

Financing: Provision and management of the revolving fund, conducting an audit and sharing experiences. Alliances are actively sought with local financial actors. It should be noted that INVUR (Instituto de la Vivienda Urbana y Rural de Nicaragua) contributed subsidies to one of the cooperatives, setting an important precedent.

Strategic alliances have been greatly strengthened with: the municipality of La Dalia, which facilitated the consolidation of two cooperatives and the creation of a third; the MEFCCA (Ministry of Family, Community, Cooperative and Associative Economy), the ministry responsible for the legal recognition and supervision of cooperatives; and the UNI (National University of Engineering).

Advocacy: organisation of the Housing Congress in Managua, studies and research, articles on the cooperative model. Agreements signed with local and international partners. Participation in various international events on social and cooperative housing. The annual social housing congresses (launched by Multipro in 2019) are recognised and institutionalised at the national level. A very concrete collaboration has been established around the ecological planning of cooperatives.

Direct beneficiaries

• Member families of the seven existing cooperatives in the department of Matagalpa. A total of 110 member families, representing approximately 550 direct beneficiaries, 60% of whom are women.
• The members of the Multipro cooperative (11 professionals, seven of whom are employed by this project) are also direct beneficiaries.

Indirect beneficiaries

• Workers employed in construction projects
• Domestic and international students and interns from various universities who are strengthening their knowledge by contributing to the project
• Material suppliers and service providers who also benefit from the implementation of this project
• In general, the entire population of Nicaragua benefits from the increased visibility of advocacy for the right to housing

Co-Op Conversations Podcast, interview

Movie, « La Casa Soñada », in free access

Talk of housing, it is about safety, education, hygiene, self-confidence, esteem for our children, for ourselves and for our environment.

Faniz Giron, coordinator of the cooperative CENCOVICOD, Nicaragua