The issue of cooperative housing in Geneva has grown significantly over the past twenty years. The canton has made this one of its priorities to improve access to housing. Cooperatives arouse a strong interest from the population in search of affordable housing, quality of urban life and social experiences such as participation, local roots or solidarity. Positioning itself as a player in the real estate market is not easy. Cooperatives and public authorities must therefore be innovative: the former by finding new ways of developing projects, the latter by rethinking the existing model. The mechanisms underlying the creation of these not-for-profit companies are complex or even poorly understood. This work aims to highlight both the mechanisms and the dynamics allowing fundraising and the enjoyment of land to carry a cooperative housing project. It also aims to provide key elements for cooperative developers so that they can understand the pitfalls to overcome and the opportunities to seize.