It is a pioneering project in Catalonia and the Spanish state that combines affordable housing and entrepreneurship for young people in Can Maiol, a municipally-owned farmhouse that is in the process of being renovated.

On January 18, the agreement signed between Palau-solità and Plegamans City Council was presented at a press conference and Sostre Cívic to boost one cooperative accommodation project and entrepreneurship for young people in the farmhouse of Can Maiol.

The collaboration proposal includes a first phase of studying the economic viability, as well as the previous architectural studies, and the subsequent temporary assignment of the farmhouse a Sostre Cívic to carry out the project of reform and future management of the homes. The group of young people will participate as partners in the project, organizing themselves independently while being part of it Sostre Cívic, which will support and accompany the cooperative to guarantee solvency and good management.

The mayor of the municipality, Oriol Lozano has highlighted the public-cooperative nature of the project and the collaboration with Sostre Cívic, "We have a deficit of public housing and especially for the young people of the municipality; this is a transversal project, from the areas of housing, heritage and youth to promote affordable housing for young people and entrepreneurship dynamics in Can Maiol".

A project that goes beyond guaranteeing affordable housing

At the moment the City Council structural reinforcement and consolidation of the heritage building has already begun, which will be complemented by the distribution and finishing works that the cooperative will carry out after the participatory process.

Sostre Cívic is in charge of developing the studies and previous works to assess the viability of the mentioned project, with the evaluation of the economic and financial viability, previous architectural studies and also carrying out a forecast of social return of project implementation. 

If everything comes to fruition, the farmhouse will allow the location of both private housing spaces and shared spaces that facilitate community life, as well as spaces to accommodate productive activity, such as workshops or studies, and agricultural land to be cultivated. The Councilor for Culture and Heritage, Eva Soler, has highlighted the recovery of this important heritage building: "The space of the farmhouse and its surroundings is excellent for carrying out a project not only of co-operativeism, but of co-housing with private spaces and community spaces and thus generating new dynamics also from the public bodies for more affordable housing."

For his part, Mandi Domingo, technician and trainer of Sostre Cívic, he emphasized that "it is the first agreement we have made with an administration that brings together young people, cooperative housing and entrepreneurial ideas. Work, housing and relationships of care and mutual support in the center, making it a unique project in Catalonia and Spain."

Training plan during the months of January and February

In parallel with the previous studies to assess the viability of the project, training workshops will be held aimed at the young people of the municipality to make known the operation of the cooperative housing model in right of use and to inform about the main characteristics of the project that wants to be developed in Can Maiol:

• Training workshop 1 (January 24): the housing cooperative model in right of use will be explained, in addition to the stages for the development of the project in Can Maiol. 

• Training workshop 2 (February 9): the values ​​of cooperativism and its principles will be studied in depth; and the development calendar, economy, and coexistence model will be detailed.ç

• Training workshop 3 (February 23): the housing model and the organization of coexistence in this type of housing will be explained in detail, and labor entrepreneurship in the housing and care space.

Young people interested in participating in this training plan can register at this link.