Innovative and non-speculative housing policies need resources. We’re signing the Barcelona Declaration to promote communal public and cooperative housing through leaseholds. The content for the declaration is inspired by the resolution by the Parliament of Catalonia to support a cooperative housing model, approved through a broad consensus.
The signature comes within the framework of the forum on cooperative housing through leaseholds “La via cooperativa al dret a l’habitatge”, which is being held in the city until 27 November and is promoted by the XES (Solidarity Economy Network) and the REAS (Network of Alternative and Solidarity Economy Network) and jointly funded by the Government of Catalonia and the City Council.
The administrations signing the declaration pledge to work towards the following goals and urge all other relevant administrations to do the same:
- Disseminate and promote cooperative housing through leaseholds.
- Develop specific public policies for cooperative initiatives through leaseholds.
- Expand leaseholds for cooperative housing through existing grants and public support policies in the sphere of rents and social rents.
- Promote legal amendments to permanently safeguard the model.
- Grant use of land and public heritage.
- Launch and implement instruments to access and manage land and heritage.
- Promote and guarantee grants.
- Establish tax breaks.
- Promote lines of finance.
- Create guarantee mechanisms to facilitate access to private finance, particularly ethical and cooperative banking.
- Recognise and promote cooperative housing through leaseholds for the elderly.
- Promote cooperative housing through leaseholds in rural environments.