The Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH) handed its annual award last month to David Rodgers, a lifelong strategist for the movement.
Rodgers has spent most of his working life advancing the idea that secure, affordable homes are best built through community ownership and democratic control. “Few figures have shaped the modern co-operative housing movement as profoundly,” said CCH.
Rodgers began his career in London’s housing co-operative sector in the 1970s, helping establish and support tenant-led, community-controlled housing at a time when traditional models were failing to meet growing needs.
As a founder and later CEO of CDS Co-operatives, he played a key role in developing new co-ops, strengthening their financial sustainability, and embedding principles of good member governance.
It’s not just the UK movement which has felt his influence. As a former president of Cooperative Housing International (CHI)– the housing sectoral organisation of the International Cooperative Alliance – Rodgers became one of the world’s leading voices for co-operative solutions to the housing crisis.
“Through international research, policy advocacy, and government engagement, he helped elevate co-operative housing as a credible, scalable alternative for countries facing affordability pressures,” said CCH.
Rodgers has also been central to developing legislative and policy frameworks that enable co-ops to thrive. He has advised governments, municipal authorities, and co-operative federations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas on financing models, tenure structures, community-led development, and co-operative regulation.
Related: Report from this year’s CCH conference
“His work has contributed to stronger national and international co-op housing movements,” added CCH, “including the creation of mutual homeownership models and community land trusts.
Beyond policy, David is a storyteller and educator. His writing and public speaking consistently articulate a clear vision: “that co-operatives are not simply housing providers, but democratic communities that build social capital, stability, and empowerment”.
He was the editor on the latest Guidance Notes to the Co-operative Principles, and is currently a member of the International Cooperative Alliance Co-operative Identity Advisory Group.
“Today,” said CCH, “David remains a respected teacher, mentor, and international advocate—continuing to inspire a new generation of leaders committed to co-operative housing as a pathway to dignity, affordability, and community control.”
