Data Practices in Housing Cooperatives
The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), highlighting the crucial role cooperatives play in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cooperatives are member-owned entities that address shared economic, cultural, and social needs, with each member having an equal vote, ensuring democratic governance. In response to the pressing issues of housing affordability and homelessness in major North American cities, housing cooperatives have long provided a viable solution for quality, affordable housing. Data-driven technologies, often referred to as data tools, play a crucial role in organizations. However, there is a gap in understanding how data practices can hinder or support the mission, operations, and long-term goals in the context of cooperatives.
Led by Priyanka Verma, this project builds on our partnership with Campus Cooperative Residence Inc (CCRI). CCRI is the oldest housing cooperative in Canada, providing affordable and communal housing since 1936 in Toronto for post-secondary students. This research investigates and seeks to reimagine the role of data tools in supporting the goals and values of cooperative communities. By critically uncovering the role of technology in building capacity and infrastructure through data practices, this research has the potential to make Toronto’s housing cooperatives – and beyond – more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient in the long term.
Publication
Maintenance, Cooperation, and Sustainability: Unpacking the Data Practices of Housing Cooperatives
Priyanka Verma, Mohammad R. Rifat, Samar Sabie
CHI ’25: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems