In 2018 we started promoting a new pioneering modality in Catalan territory: the senior cooperative housing, aimed at older people and with private spaces for each coexistence unit and common areas for meeting, mutual help and shared activities. In short, we want to break with the current model of the residences and propose a response to the crisis of care in old age from self-management, radically changing the ways of understanding and living this stage of life.

The first project of these characteristics started in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The cooperative promoted the project of Walden XXI to locate it in the old Jecsalis hotel, built in 1970 and which operated for years as a humble two-star establishment. With this project, we want to recover the property by capturing private assets to pass into cooperative hands under principles of the common good and not speculative.

The rehabilitation works counting on turning it into 31 complete homes and a wide range of collective spaces which add up to more than 800m2. The common areas are designed for the specific needs of the elderly (three multipurpose rooms with industrial kitchen, dining room, living rooms, interior garden, infirmary, physiotherapy room, workshops, concierge, laundry, changing rooms, office, storage rooms and garage spaces).

Crowdfunding to free private wealth from speculation

As of today, the project is already well advanced and entering the final phase: rehabilitation works will soon begin, which will last until 2025.

The financing of the project rises to 7 million euros in total. Although there is already a financing commitment with different banking entities, the cooperative has launched a new issue of equity securities through the platform Tornassol. With this initiative, the cooperative opens up the possibility of being able to collaborate to give financial support to the project. 

The participation consists of purchase participatory titles from €500 (everyone can purchase as many as they want) and with a remuneration from 2,25 to 2,50% depending on the maturity period chosen (4 or 6 years).

This exclusive funding tool from Sostre Cívic it has served on other occasions to complete the financing of other cooperative housing projects, today already in coexistence, such as La Balma (Poblenou, Barcelona) or Cirerers (Roquetes, Barcelona), built on municipal land. In these cases the campaign managed to issue more than 450 titles for a total value of nearly €300.000. In another edition, Tornassol it was used for the purchase of the first private land in Catalonia to build cooperative housing. It was in Cardedeu with the project of Cal Paler Nou and €450.000 of the cost of the land was obtained through the issuance of 900 participatory titles.

By opening the participation of financing, the Walden XXI project group wants to ensure the viability of the first cooperative senior housing project in Catalonia. "By investing in Walden XXI we open up the possibility of being part of our revolution to make another old age possible, active and self-managed", assure from the group.