The Spanish Cooperative of Inexpensive Houses “Pablo Iglesias” was the most important Spanish cooperative of inexpensive houses and one of the largest organizations in Europe. It remained functional between 1926 and 1939 with the aim to provide the working class with decent households and with a focus on finding a solution to the housing problems.

It originated in the mining area of Peñarroya- Pueblonuevo (Córdoba, Spain), where the former cooperative was created in 1926. It was launched by Vicente Hernández Rizo, who was an employee of the Mining and Metallurgical Trade Union of Peñarroya between 1927 and 1934 and built the Cooperative of Inexpensive Houses “Pablo Iglesias” on the 2nd December, 1926.

It reached across the entire nation, including the north of Africa. As a result, the Cooperative acquired national status in 1929, promoted households in Madrid in 1934, and became operative on the territory of Barcelona in 1936.

They built countless houses and pro-groups across Spain, such as the Groups and Garden Cities of Córdoba, Málaga, Manllet, Villa de El Escorial, Alcázar de San Juan, Monóvar and Madrid.

The artificiality of this institution rightfully belongs to Vicente Hernández Rizo, secretary- general of the Cooperative, and the architect Francisco Azorín. After fleeing into exile in the wake of the Spanish Civil War, they launched the Cooperative of Inexpensive Houses “Pablo Iglesias” (removing the descriptive word “Spanish”) in Mexico. The regulations of this newly-established cooperative date back to 1939. Under clause Nº 1 it was provided that the Society would bear the name “Cooperative of Inexpensive Houses “Pablo Iglesias (S.C.L.)” and would be based in the Federal District of Mexico.

Orgánicamente, la representación social de la Cooperativa estuvo a cargo de un Comité Nacional y en cada localidad se constituyó una Sección. El Comité Nacional procedería al sorteo de las casas trimestralmente, anunciándose en el periódico El Socialista. Por otra parte, cada socio tenía la obligación de recibir la publicación que editaba la Cooperativa denominada "Hogar Obrero".