The Federal Government has convened the “Expert Commission Housing Cooperatives” in 2002 in order to further develop cooperative housing as third supporting pillar besides rental housing and owner-occupied housing and to assure the future of the cooperative idea on an ongoing basis. In its report the commission refers to unused potentials of housing cooperatives in Germany. Based on the fields of action presented in the report it recommends the housing cooperatives to play a more active role e.g. as regards retirement provisions, urban development as well as cooperation and marketing. This is considered to be necessary to consist in the face of shrinking housing markets and an ageing society also in the future.

Aiming to further advance cooperative housing as third supporting pillar besides rental housing and owner-occupied housing and to assure the future of the cooperative idea on an ongoing basis, 14 experts in the field of cooperative housing and sciences have identified potentials and perspectives of cooperatives. The report describes the characteristics of housing cooperatives, their role in civic society, in connection with urban development and restructuring as well as their general legal and fiscal conditions. Furthermore, it includes a comprehensive review of the housing supply, the structure of residents and the involvement of cooperative members as well as of the economic situation of cooperative companies. Compared with the development perspectives of the housing market, a need for action is identified especially for financing, communication and marketing, cooperation, opportunities of retirement provisions and the development of terms and conditions for future public funding. The expert commission has dealt with these fields and elaborated recommendations for politicians, housing cooperatives and corresponding associations. Thus, the political milieu should offensively commit in favour of the cooperative idea and the benefits of this form of housing.

Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung)
http://www.bbr.bund.de
Barbara Crome, tel. +49 (0)228 4011220

27/04/2004

policy

Urban Policy > Urban environment > Urban renewal

Urban restructuring