Located in the Peñarol neighborhood of Montevideo, COVIMT 1 was the city's first mutual aid housing cooperative. It was founded by textile workers, who completed construction of the complex in 1972. Bé Estudio, CC BY-SA

More than 1.8 billion people lack access to adequate and affordable housing. Yet too few countries have taken meaningful steps to ensure dignified housing for their most vulnerable citizens.

We research how cooperative housing can serve as one solution to the affordable housing crisis. There are a variety of cooperative housing models. But they generally involve residents collectively owning and managing their apartment complexes, sharing responsibilities, costs and decision-making through a democratic process.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.