As part of the Master’s program in Urban Resilience for Sustainability Transitions, the class of 2025 participated in a two-day deep dive into the housing cooperative Sostre Civic. Held on February 6th and 7th, 2025, this seminar and site visit were part of the Community Resilience module, introducing strategies to address housing shortages, community displacement, and modern individualistic living standards.
On February 6th, the group visited Sostre Civic’s headquarters in Eixample, Barcelona, a hub for multiple cooperatives spanning legal, construction, architecture, and sustainability fields. These organizations collaborate as a cooperative network. In the conference room, Nina Turrull from Sostre Civic’s engineering and technical team provided an in-depth overview of Barcelona’s housing crisis and the cooperative’s mission.
Barcelona faces an escalating housing crisis due to complex socio-economic and political factors. Tourism and short-term rentals, fueled by platforms like Airbnb, have driven up rents, reducing housing availability for residents. Additionally, stagnant local wages, rising living costs, and policies favoring remote workers further widen the affordability gap. Investment properties and the lack of social housing also contribute to long-term residents being priced out of the city.
Sostre Civic offers an alternative housing model aimed at helping residents work around current housing issues. Established in 2004, it is a cooperative focused on community needs rather than profit. The right to use model employed by Sostre Cívic is a cooperative housing approach where the cooperative owns the property, and members pay an initial contribution and monthly fees for the indefinite right to live in their homes. Unlike ownership or renting, residents don’t own the property but have secure, long-term, and affordable housing while actively participating in the cooperative’s management and decision-making.This model aligns well with public-private partnerships (PPPs) and community land trusts (CLTs) by enabling access to publicly or community-owned land for affordable housing projects. In a PPP or CLT arrangement, the land remains collectively owned while cooperatives like Sostre Cívic manage housing, ensuring long-term affordability, community control, and resilience against speculation. Currently, Sostre Cívic has over 1,700 members across 27 cities in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Its portfolio includes 14 co-living projects, with 11 more in development, totaling 561 homes. By 2027, they expect to expand to 19 co-living spaces and 6 additional projects, reaching 656 homes. The price range they work with depends mostly on the location, land and project cost. It significantly varies if the housing is new construction or just renovation of an already built project. Either way, always with the affordability for its members in mind.
While the right to use housing model is gaining recognition and popularity among residents, it still struggles to meet the vast demand for affordable and stable housing. Despite the dedicated efforts of cooperatives in cities like Barcelona, their impact remains limited within the broader housing market. The process itself poses significant challenges—from acquiring land and developing projects to forming cohesive coliving groups and facilitating their transition into the property. These barriers must be overcome before nonprofit housing models can become mainstream and effectively address a meaningful portion of the local population’s need for long-term housing stability and protection against gentrification. Nevertheless, visionary projects like Sostre Cívic demonstrate the potential of these models. Their approach can inspire and empower other community-led initiatives, especially given the strong interest from residents in alternative housing solutions.
On the second day, the group visited La Balma, a Sostre Cívic housing project located in Poble Nou. This seven-story building consists of 20 apartments and seven shared spaces ranging from 50 to 70 square meters. Resident Alicia guided the tour, providing insights into the communal lifestyle, highlighting both its benefits and challenges. She emphasized how co-living fosters resilience and enables residents to remain in gentrifying neighborhoods like Poble Nou.
La Balma is designed with sustainability in mind, featuring solar panels, geothermal heating, and communal areas such as exercise rooms, guest rooms, and a shared kitchen. The visit sparked lively engagement among students, many of whom were excited by the possibility of “owning” property at a fraction of the market price, even in high-demand neighborhoods. The numerous questions raised during and after the visit made it clear that the group’s interest extended beyond their roles as future urban resilience practitioners and academics—they were also intrigued by the model as potential residents and users.
The visit to Sostre Civic and La Balma underscored the urgent need for alternative housing solutions in Barcelona’s increasingly unaffordable market. By prioritizing collective ownership and long-term stability, housing cooperatives offer a viable response to displacement and gentrification. Sostre Civic’s “Right to Use” model presents a promising pathway for fostering resilient urban communities, balancing affordability, sustainability, and social cohesion. The experience reinforced the importance of rethinking housing beyond conventional market dynamics, inspiring students to explore cooperative models as part of future urban resilience strategies.
Daniel Brito, Master Student
International Master in Urban Resilience for Sustainability Transitions (UIC)