Zurich’s Housing Cooperatives House One in Five Residents Under Non-Profit Model

A Guardian article describes Zurich’s cooperative housing system, where residents collectively own buildings and pay cost-based rents without landlords or speculative profit.

• In 2011, a city-wide referendum set a target that one-third of Zurich’s housing be cooperative-owned by 2050.
• The city provides cooperatives with priority access to land, low-interest loans, and favorable zoning treatment.
• Cooperative residents buy a returnable share of 7,000–25,000 francs and pay cost rent that covers debt repayment and maintenance.
• The cooperatives follow a charter that prohibits speculative profits and mandates resident participation and self-determination.