BMA promotes the housing cooperative as a sustainable alternative to traditional models of renting and buying. In this financial model, the value of land is taken off the market and eliminates speculation. In the long-term, the cooperative model guarantees a reduction in the cost of land in the price of housing. BMA is calling for cooperative housing to become a third channel for the production of affordable housing in Brussels, between the public and private sectors.

A resurgence in interest for the housing cooperative is happening across Europe. In cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam, Munich, Geneva and Zurich, citizens are uniting their forces, and governments are developing policies to encourage this type of housing. In the coming years, the issue of affordable housing will be at the top of the agenda, and cooperative housing is gaining more and more support. To this end, BMA actively supports the various organisations that wish to take action in this area in Brussels.

The availability of land plays an essential role in the development of housing co-operatives, with the use of land owned by public bodies as a lever to bring projects to fruition. Eased access to financial institutions is also an important cornerstone, including bank guarantees, long-term loans and agreements between public authorities and co-operatives.

In maarch 2024, we launched a call to land or building owners and housing co-operatives in the process of being set up in Brussels, with the ambition of carrying out a pilot project.  On the 13^th of May 2024, we brought together pioneers from Geneva, Rotterdam and Barcelona to find out how they have tackled the major challenges in developing cooperative projects. On the 28^th of May 2024, during the first workshop, we explored these experiences in greater depth around specific cases and facilitated a dialogue between owners, cooperatives and experts to study the feasibility of pilot projects in the Brussels region. On the 3^rd of October 2024, at the second workshop, we continued to reflect on these case studies, which led us to explore, for each of these sites, their land issues as well as the financial feasibility of a cooperative project. Our campaign to promote co-operative housing in Brussels will continue in the future!