Commoning Spaces Network – European Network of Community led Houses
Community led, non-profit house projects and housing groups remove buildings from speculation and profit by buying and transferring them into the joint ownership of their residents for long-term social, sustainable, affordable, space-efficient community led living. They develop innovative, flexible, diverse forms of society and space for housing, work and engagements.
Since 1983 community led houses have developed their models, increasingly joined together in national solidarity networks like Mietshäuser Syndikat DE, habiTAT AT, VrijCoop NL, LaDinamo ES, Le Clip FR, MOBA RS HU SI CZ HR and sdilené domy CZ aiming to secure their houses permanently against sale, speculation and profit.
In December 2024, 23 members of community led houses and their networks from 18 countries founded a European horizontal network, the Commoning Spaces Network e.V. – CSN. The European financial cooperative Community-led Houses Europe SCE i.G. – CHE was subsequently founded in March 2024, aiming to grant long-term affordable loans or shares to community led houses throughout Europe and in particular to new housing projects.
Commoning Spaces Network and Community led Houses Europe provide solidarity based horizontal transfer of knowledge, experience and finance for new groups and houses and organize their network in Europe.
European Housing Crisis
The housing issue is one of Europe’s biggest social challenges and affects many Europeans personally.
Good, safe housing in a social environment has a major influence on health, the feeling and planning of life, economy, creativity and social cohesion.
In Europe, low-income groups are often no longer able to afford suitable housing. Evictions onto the streets and a lack of prospects are increasing across Europe. Speculation and profit are causing prices and rents to skyrocket.
Community led, non-profit-oriented houses put an end to property speculation and profit from housing by buying properties and transferring them into the joint ownership of their residents for long-term social, community led living and developing innovative, flexible forms of society and housing. Because they form small, legally independent, spatially closely connected units and each resident can participate, they are very stable and diverse, guarantee direct democratic influence for each resident and offer the prerequisites for a shared social, cooperative life and economy.
Community led Houses
Since 1983, they have built up many community led houses under their own steam, and they provide solidarity-based horizontal transfer of knowledge, experience and finance for new groups and houses and organize their horizontal network in Europe. Together with their networks, they secure their houses permanently against sale, speculation and profit.
we suggest:
- Within the framework of HORIZON EUROPE: Investigation and comparison of the developments and status quo of the real estate and housing markets in the EU, their legal framework, state subsidies, best practices, legal and social forms as well as initiatives and NGOs that provide space for long-term, public welfare-oriented, affordable, high-quality, sustainable, democratic, inclusive, self-determined living, working and engagement.
- Within the framework of HORIZON EUROPE: Development of strategies to transfer good practices to EU member states to tackle the European housing crisis.
- Support for government and social initiatives through
- Transfer of knowledge and experience within the framework of ERASMUS+
- Development and proposal of suitable framework conditions and support
- Favorable loans and company investments, e.g. via the EIB etc.
See our recent Position paper (2024) and learn more about how Community Led Housing responds to the Housing Crisis.