The Solidarity Economy Network (XES) has approved the creation of the Cooperative and Transformative Housing Sectorial, a meeting place for entities and groups that want to work together to promote cooperative housing in right of use.

The proposal was presented on October 27, 2018 at the FESC as an initiative of 6 entities: La Dinamo, La Xarxaire, Ruderal, La Borda, Perviure and Sostre Cívic. A new sectoral assembly of the XES is thus born with the aim ofstrengthen the model of cooperative housing in right of use and work together to make it possible.

The principles of cooperative housing in use regime that we want to promote and that were included in the manifest of the proposal for the creation of the Sectorial are:

1. Collective empowerment as the engine of the model, which can be used by all the popular classes to collectively resolve access to decent and adequate housing.
2. Inclusivity: we want it to be an affordable alternative for as many households as possible, from different cultural sectors and income levels.
3. Collective property: which is clearly anti-speculative, and which contributes to consolidating the concept of housing according to its use value and not its exchange value.
4. Generator of new networks of solidarity and mutual support: that each project can become a new space from where to continue to co-operate consumption or work, or from where to articulate with other social struggles in the territory and involve ourselves in the environment.
5. Sustainability that puts life at the center: that takes care of the environment by designing sustainable projects that reduce environmental impact and resource consumption. Also, that it offers the opportunity to promote different models of coexistence, which allow us to live more in community, sharing spaces and services, and strengthening bonds of solidarity and mutual care with the people with whom we share the project.

In addition, the Sectorial has defined a list with the essential and recommended elements of the model, which you can consult in this document.

The objectives of the Sectorial

The idea of ​​creating this new sectoral assembly was motivated by the desire to collectively meet the following challenges:

• Internal definition: Articulation and coordination of the entities that are part of it, and definition of the model.
• Diffusion and openness: We design collective actions and a joint strategy to encourage the promotion of public policies that help grow the model in Catalonia.
• Model strengthening: We work in a network to find resources and mechanisms to strengthen the model.

Will you join us on this journey?

The Sectorial is open to participation of cooperatives, associations and individuals who want to work to strengthen this alternative housing model.

If you are interested in being a part of it, you can fill out this form!