A housing cooperative is a type of cooperative whose social objective is to provide its members with housing, premises and other real estate, acquiring land to build and develop it. Housing cooperatives, as housing development companies, have established themselves as one of the viable alternatives.

Objective factors that intervene in its production system and its legal regulation make this evident. He is one of the most representative figures of the so-called social economy.

Housing cooperatives in Uruguay emerged in 1966 from 3 pilot experiences promoted by the Uruguayan Cooperative Center (CCU) in the interior of the country: Cosvam in Salto (made up of railway workers), Isla Mala in 25 de Mayo, Florida (with a majority of dairy workers) and Éxodo de Artigas in Fray Bentos (municipal workers).

In 1968, the Uruguayan Parliament approved the National Housing Law No. 13,728[1] promoted by Architect Juan Pablo Terra, which includes a chapter referring to cooperatives.

The Cooperative Program[2]​of the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning regulates the activity of cooperatives in accordance with current laws[3]​ and regulations.

Historically, Chilean housing cooperatives have played an important role in the development of social housing in that country.

Housing cooperatives in Chile are regulated by the General Law of Cooperatives and their activity is supervised by the Ministry of Economy through its Department of Cooperatives. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning establishes the housing subsidy system (which usually complements prior savings and mortgage credit) and defines the regulatory, architectural and urban planning bases with which cooperative real estate projects must be developed.

Currently, the most important housing cooperatives in Chile are INVICA-Provicoop and Conavicoop. In Chilean legislation, closed and open housing cooperatives are distinguished, both of which are open-type organizations, that is, free and individual incorporation of members into the housing projects they manage, in accordance with their respective social statutes and the financial requirements necessary for the acquisition of housing.