2025
Vanesa Valiño and others
The comprehensive report published in 2025 by Housing Europe provides an insightful overview of housing cooperatives across Europe, addressing the pressing challenges of housing affordability faced by low and middle-income groups. As the need for decent housing intensifies, the report emphasizes the potential of housing cooperatives, which operate on a democratic principle of "one person, one vote," to play a crucial role in alleviating this crisis. With contributions from various partners across 12 European countries, the document builds on previous work to spotlight the evolving landscape of cooperative housing. The report is divided into two primary sections: an exploration of well-established cooperative models dating back to the early 20th century, and a focus on innovative initiatives that emerged after the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Key findings reveal the extensive scale of cooperatives, managing at least 7.9 million housing units across the EU, with Germany leading in numbers. The report illustrates diverse approaches, showcasing cooperatives that offer both rental and ownership options, while also expanding their role to include community services and sustainability efforts. Current challenges, such as rising construction costs and energy transition requirements, are also detailed, alongside emerging cooperative initiatives like Right-of-Use cooperatives in Barcelona and Community Land Trusts in Brussels. The report advocates for European support through financing, regulatory frameworks, and knowledge exchange, concluding that housing cooperatives can uniquely address housing affordability, climate change, and social cohesion, thus ensuring dignified living conditions for all citizens.
This comprehensive report, published in 2025 by Housing Europe, provides an updated overview of housing cooperatives across Europe, examining both well-established models and emerging initiatives. The report serves as a follow-up to the 2012 publication "Profiles of a Movement: Co-operative Housings Around the World," which was created for the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives.
Context and Purpose
The report emerges in a context of growing housing affordability challenges across Europe, where accessing decent housing is increasingly difficult for low and middle-income groups. It highlights how housing cooperatives, with their democratic "one person, one vote" principle and commitment to non-speculative housing, can be part of the solution to this crisis.
The document was compiled with contributions from Housing Europe members and partners across 12 European countries, including Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The report acknowledges Vanesa Valiño as the driving force behind the project, who brought her experience in advancing housing rights in Barcelona.
Structure and Methodology
The report is divided into two main parts:
- An overview of well-established cooperatives rooted in the early 20th century and consolidated from the 1970s onwards
- A focus on new cooperative initiatives that emerged after the 2007-2008 financial crisis
Key Findings: Traditional Cooperative Models
Scale and Impact
- Housing cooperatives manage at least 7.9 million housing units across EU and EFTA countries
- The Housing Europe network alone includes over 22,000 housing cooperatives
- Germany has the largest number with more than 2.2 million rental units
- In Sweden and Norway, cooperatives manage over 1.1 million and 370,000 homes respectively
- In Austria, 97 housing cooperatives manage 460,000 homes (about 10% of households)
- Swiss cooperatives represent 4.3% of the total housing stock but reach 20% in cities like Zurich
Diverse Models and Approaches
- Tenure models vary widely: some focus on rental (Germany, Switzerland), others on ownership (Sweden, Norway, Spain, Italy), and some offer both options
- In France, HLM cooperatives have built over 400,000 units and produce about 5,000 new homes for sale annually
- In Poland and Estonia, cooperatives emerged from the privatization of state housing after the fall of communism
- Austrian cooperatives operate on a cost-recovery basis, reinvesting surpluses into new affordable housing
- Many cooperatives have expanded beyond housing provision to include community services, sustainability initiatives, and neighborhood development
Current Challenges
- Rising construction costs and interest rates are making new developments difficult
- Energy transition requirements demand significant investments in existing buildings
- In many countries, public support has diminished compared to post-WWII periods
- Housing affordability pressures are increasing, particularly for young people and low-income households
- Regulatory frameworks sometimes favor private development over cooperative models
Key Findings: Emerging Cooperative Initiatives
New Models
- Right-of-use cooperatives in Barcelona (like Sostre Cívic) are pioneering models where land is made available through long-term leases
- Community Land Trusts in Brussels and adaptations in France (Organismes Foncier Solidaire) separate land ownership from buildings to ensure permanent affordability
- These new initiatives often emphasize community building, environmental sustainability, and anti-speculative measures
Success Factors
- Municipal support through land allocation, tax benefits, and regulatory frameworks
- Financial innovation, including ethical banking, community investment, and public guarantees
- Democratic governance structures that balance resident, community, and public interests
- Strong community engagement and participatory processes
Recommendations for European Support
The report identifies several ways European institutions could support housing cooperatives:
- Access to low-interest, long-term financing and guarantees, particularly through the European Investment Bank
- Support for decarbonization and sustainable renovation of existing housing
- Recognition of the specific features of the cooperative model within the social economy
- Facilitation of knowledge exchange and best practices across countries
- Regulatory frameworks that support affordable, non-speculative housing models
Conclusion
The report concludes that housing cooperatives are uniquely positioned to address intersecting challenges of housing affordability, climate change, and social cohesion. It calls for a broad vision of housing that embraces diverse forms and organizations, including cooperatives as part of the broader third sector or social economy. This perspective can drive public policies and financial models that ensure all citizens have access to dignified, sustainable, and affordable housing with agency over where and how they live.