Sostre Cívic is a housing cooperative in Catalonia, Spain, promoting affordable, non-speculative housing through a collective ownership model, aiming to diversify housing options and address affordability issues.
Sostre Cívic is a pioneering housing cooperative based in Catalonia, Spain, that has been promoting an alternative housing access model since its inception in 2004. The organization focuses on the "right to use" model, where members have indefinite use of dwellings without owning them, thus avoiding speculative market pressures. Sostre Cívic operates as an umbrella organization, supporting cooperative groups in purchasing and developing buildings, often on municipal land. The cooperative retains collective ownership of the properties, while members pay an initial contribution and a monthly fee that covers project costs. This model ensures long-term housing affordability and sustainability. Currently, Sostre Cívic has over 1,400 members and manages 22 projects, including 13 already in coexistence, with 175 homes in use. The organization works closely with local authorities, securing grants and subsidies, and collaborates with ethical banking institutions and the Catalan Institute of Finance for project financing. Sostre Cívic's mission is to provide a non-speculative housing alternative and to promote a new model of housing throughout Catalonia. The organization aims to diversify tenure options in the region's housing market, with a goal of having 10% of homes as cooperatives in the next 20 to 30 years. Through its work, Sostre Cívic seeks to address the housing affordability crisis in Catalonia and to foster a more equitable and sustainable housing landscape.
Sostre Cívic is a pioneering housing cooperative based in Catalonia, Spain, that has been promoting an alternative housing access model since its inception in 2004. The organization focuses on the "right to use" model, where members have indefinite use of dwellings without owning them, thus avoiding speculative market pressures. Sostre Cívic operates as an umbrella organization, supporting cooperative groups in purchasing and developing buildings, often on municipal land. The cooperative retains collective ownership of the properties, while members pay an initial contribution and a monthly fee that covers project costs. This model ensures long-term housing affordability and sustainability. Currently, Sostre Cívic has over 1,400 members and manages 22 projects, including 13 already in coexistence, with 175 homes in use. The organization works closely with local authorities, securing grants and subsidies, and collaborates with ethical banking institutions and the Catalan Institute of Finance for project financing. Sostre Cívic's mission is to provide a non-speculative housing alternative and to promote a new model of housing throughout Catalonia. The organization aims to diversify tenure options in the region's housing market, with a goal of having 10% of homes as cooperatives in the next 20 to 30 years. Through its work, Sostre Cívic seeks to address the housing affordability crisis in Catalonia and to foster a more equitable and sustainable housing landscape.
