Vilafranca del Penedès begins work on its first cooperative housing building in right of use. Located on Carrer Nord, it includes 24 homes and will be built on a plot of land ceded by the City Council for 75 years

Sostre Cívic and the association The Bastide, with the support of Vilafranca City Council, we are starting the first cooperative housing project in the municipality: The Bastide – Pati del Gall. The works will start in the coming weeks and will last until the end of 2026. Currently, we have 9 family units, but we have opened a campaign to incorporate between 10 and 12 more, to complete the 24 units that will be part of the project

The registration period for the project opens today, December 3, and will close on January 27. During this time, we will organize three information sessions for all interested people, with the aim of detailing the operation of the project and resolving doubts. The sessions will be open, but prior registration is required:

• Monday 9/12/24 | 17:30 p.m. Informative talk at L'Escorxador.
• Wednesday 18/12/24 | 17:30 p.m. Informative talk at L'Enològica.
• Friday 10/01/25 | 15 p.m. Online briefing.

In addition, we will participate in the Fira del Gall and have enabled a website (patidelgall.sostrecivic.cat) and an email (info@patidelgall.sostrecivic.cat) to answer any questions.

The aim of this new campaign is to add between 10 and 12 new coexistence units, which will join the driving group and will be able to participate actively in decision-making as the project progresses.

A sustainable project without speculation

The project The Bastide – Pati del Gall, a pioneer in Vilafranca, includes a ground floor building and three floors with 24 homes with between 1 and 4 bedrooms. Designed to encourage community living, the building will feature shared spaces such as a deck with indoor and outdoor areas, a collective laundry, guest rooms, a multipurpose room with a community kitchen, and parking for vehicles and bicycles.

With a wooden structure and energy certification A, the project will be built following high efficiency criteria to reduce both environmental impact and energy costs. It will include photovoltaic panels, gray water recycling systems, consumption monitoring and a shared telecommunications network. These measures will allow savings of up to 30-40% compared to a conventional home.

The project is possible thanks to the assignment of the site by the City Council, with surface rights for 75 years. People registered in Vilafranca for at least 3 years (or with a minimum of 10 years of history) will have priority, followed by those registered in Vegueria Penedès. In addition, 6 homes will be reserved for young people up to 35 years of age and 2 for people in a vulnerable situation, as determined by the municipality's Social Services. To be able to access the housing, you must be registered in the register of officially protected housing, meet the regional requirements and be a member of Sostre Cívic.

Vilafranca City Council has opted for this new cooperative housing formula, the result of citizen participation in the Local Housing Plan. This initiative is part of the efforts to achieve a total of 196 new social housing during the period 2022-2027.

Home for life

The cooperative housing model we propose eliminates speculation thanks to the collective ownership of the properties, which cannot be sold or rented. Members make an initial contribution (returnable) and pay a monthly fee that covers financing, maintenance and other community expenses.

Currently, the feasibility plan establishes initial contributions of between 20.000 and 35.000 euros, depending on the type of home, and monthly installments that range between 700 and 1.000 euros. These fees are not comparable to traditional rent, as they include loan repayment, communal consumption, maintenance, internet, building insurance, management, taxes, and a reserve for future maintenance, in addition to a solidarity fee shared with the rest of the members.

Since Sostre Cívic, our priority is to guarantee the affordability of the project to facilitate access for all people who want to be part of this initiative. Despite being a cost-price and non-profit promotion model, we will continue to look for formulas to ensure that the contributions are truly accessible, bearing in mind that the homes are qualified as official protection.

Sostre Cívic, a benchmark in cooperative housing

Sostre Cívic is a benchmark in the cooperative housing model in Catalonia. With more than 1.600 members, and recently awarded the UN World Habitat Awards 2023, we currently manage 14 housing projects (190 homes) and promote 11 more, with 376 homes in process.

This great commitment to the cooperative model has been possible thanks to outstanding international support. The Development Bank of the Council of Europe has granted a Sostre Cívic a credit of 31 million euros to finance new projects, including The Bastide – Pati del Gall. This is the largest European funding ever granted to a cooperative, an endorsement by the highest European authorities that reaffirms the potential of the cooperative model to expand affordable housing.