Catalan housing co-op provider Sostre Cívic was awarded the European Responsible Housing Award, at the International Social Housing Festival in Dublin on 5 June.
Winning in the category of “More than a roof – Supporting communities of equal opportunities”, Sostre Cívic impressed the judges with its non-speculative “right-of-use” model, which provides housing at 25–40% below market rents for low- and middle-income households, and its democratic governance.
“The financial model is innovative, blending resident contributions, social banking, and EU funding without relying on state subsidies,” said the jury.
“It ensures full resident participation, with 100% involvement in decision-making and co-operative governance. Sostre Cívic is a replicable, scalable model that promotes long-term affordability and sustainability at local and national levels. The use of public land for co-operative housing is a way to counteract speculative practices, offering a transformative approach for Spain.”
Sostre Cívic has been operating as an association since 2004, supporting a number of housing cooperatives in Catalonia. Last year, it was announced that Sostre Cívic had secured €31m from the Development Bank of the Council of Europe to develop 350 new co-operative homes.
“Winning this award is a powerful recognition of the co-operative housing model as a real and scalable alternative to the speculative market. It reaffirms that housing can be self-managed, affordable, and sustainable,” said José Téllez, head of communications at Sostre Cívic.
“For us, this is a step forward in making co-operative housing a key pillar of housing policies across Europe.”
The award is part of the European Responsible Housing Initiative, a project implemented by Delphis, Housing Europe and the International Union of Tenants, and co-funded by the European Commission.
Sostre Cívic also announced that the Spanish Cooperative Housing Network, of which it is a member, is joining Housing Europe, the main European federation of public and social housing. In a statement, Sostre Cívic said the move comes at a key moment for housing policy in the EU, as it prepares to develop a European Plan for Affordable Housing.
New projects from the co-op include El Cairo, which will be the first co-operative housing site in the municipality of Vallès.
The site, which will be built and managed by Sostre Cívic, will occupy is an 800 m² municipal plot on Carrer Rosselló 97, in the Lledoner neighborhood. The co-op was granted the tender for the €5.2m project in 2023 by Granollers City Council.
It will consist of 29 homes on the ground floor and three floors, with large shared community spaces, including a terrace with a communal laundry and a multipurpose room on the ground floor.
The new development has received of €900,000 from the Next Generation Fund. In addition, in order to facilitate inclusion, the management of one of the 29 homes will be transferred to the city council so that it can allocate it to vulnerable groups.
El Cairo’s plans (main picture) will include architectural features to minimise maintenance needs and improve sustainability.
