Co-operative housing associations could go a long way towards alleviating New Zealand's housing shortfall, but there has to be a change in thinking - away from private developers. This article by Dr Morten Gjerde from Victoria University's School of Architecture looks at the nature and benefits of co-operative housing associations as they exist or have existed in Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand.

Concludes that while cooperative housing associations may not solve all the problems facing housing in New Zealand, they may be an option worth pursuing. What is clear is the current developer-led model is not meeting needs and the constrained environment house building for profit operates in must shift.