What is community-led housing?
There is not one form of housing commons, just like there is not one form of community-led housing.
The Housing Commons Research Centre supports a diversity of housing commons and the self-identification of housing commons and commoning by housing researchers, practitioners, and community-led housing groups. We seek to highlight and analyze the multiple forms and interpretations of housing commons that exist and are being created.
By building bridges between researchers and practitioners, we aim to champion and support non-speculative, collectively owned, and self-governed models of housing that prioritize long-term affordability, community control and a fundamental prioritization of people over profit. Whether it is a co-op, a land trust, an encampment, an eco-community, or other intentional community, we support practices of care, solidarity and housing justice.
Co-op housing
Co-op housing projects are member-run communities where residents collectively own and manage their buildings, sharing costs and decisions to ensure affordable, stable, and democratic housing.
Please learn more from The Canadian Federation of Housing Co-operatives (CHF Canada). They are the national voice of housing co-ops, providing advocacy, education, resources, and services while connecting members across Canada and internationally to strengthen the co-op movement.
Community Land Trusts
Community land trusts secure land for community use, ensuring affordable housing, green space, and local benefit through long-term stewardship.
For example, the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust secures land for community ownership, protecting affordable housing and vital assets in Toronto’s west end to ensure long-term affordability and inclusivity.
Tenant Organizing
Tenant organizing is when renters join together in solidarity to resist unfair practices, stop evictions, push for lower rents, and build collective power and autonomy.
One example is a tenants’ union in Montréal. The Montreal Autonomous Tenants Union are fighting landlords through solidarity, mutual aid, and direct action to stop evictions, cut rents, and build autonomy. See also ACTO.
Squatting & Encampments
Squatting and encampment organizations are made up of both housed and unhoused individuals. They engage in advocacy and direct action to resist encampment evictions, distribute essential supplies, and campaign for safe, accessible housing and dignity for unhoused communities.
The Encampment Support Network Parkdale (ESNP) works to resist displacement and state violence. Rooted in mutual aid and solidarity, the network challenges the City’s prioritization of private property over human life and calls for real investments in housing, care, and community.