Moba is a network of pioneering housing cooperatives from Belgrade (Pametnija Zgrada / Ko Gradi Grad), Budapest (ACRED / Zugló Collective House Association), Ljubljana (Zadrugator), Děčín (Vzletný Racek), Prague (Sdílené domy / První Vlaštovka) and Zagreb (Cooperative Open Architecture) with long-term support from the Cooperative for Ethical Financing (ZEF), urbaMonde and World Habitat. Moba group responds to similar problems of housing access and affordability in the cities, with a common approach based on the cooperative model, and innovative approach to housing.
In 2017, a group of coops decided to join forces and meet regularly to build the necessary pool of expertise, capacities and (financial) instruments to launch pilot projects in the reference region. Since 2020, Moba is incorporated as a European Cooperative Society (SCE)
Pilot Projects
Flagship projects are being prepared and getting launched – a crucial proof of concept for the MOBA approach:
• Vzletný Racek (Czech Republic) is a community house in the city of Děčín (North Bohemia) . This repurposed villa encompasses 770 m2 (15 rooms + 2 kitchens), plus a basement and a 1 700 m2 garden. The first floor is being put to use as a community space and while the upper two floors are for community living.
• Pametnija Zgrada (Serbia) is projected as a 4-story building just outside of the center of Belgrade. It will incorporate a range of apartments for different living requirements, including single users, families, and co-housing arrangements, totalling about 1000 m2 of apartment space.
• Zugló Collective House Association (Hungary) is a 3-storey multi-family house in one of the popular residential areas just outside the center of Budapest. In this building, private spaces will be around 20 m2 per person, with further 150 m2 common spaces (kitchens, bathrooms, collective spaces). This means that each inhabitant will about 16 m2 common space in addition to their private area.
• Zadrugator Housing Cooperative (Slovenia) will be constructed as a three-storey building with a total floor area of 3.398, m2 net. A variety of apartments and common spaces will be located in Rakova Jelša district, a 15 min walk from the historic city center of Ljubljana, on a plot of 5.000 m2 provided by the municipality.
• Social cooperative První Vlaštovka (Czech Republic) is a pilot project of a planned network of solidarity community housing in the Czech Republic. Property for realisation, located in Prague 6, was bought in January 2022 for ca. € 1,500,000 with additional € 500,00 planned for its reconstruction. The project První vlaštovka will offer 500 m2 of housing area as well as 30 m2 of a semi-private community space for its residents and ca..
More information about Moba https://moba.coop/.
For a more thorough understanding of the non profit and collective-owned housing Moba, we offer to our readers the following article MOBA: Rethinking needs and financing for affordable rental and cooperative housing in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
In January 2024 the Radical Housing Journal published an article based on the conversation among Zsuzsanna Pósfai Csaba Jelinek, Periféria Policy and Research Center, MOBA Housing SCE, Mara Ferreri DIST, Polytechnic & University of Turin, and Radical Housing Journal, Camila Cociña International Institute for Environment and Development, and Radical Housing Journal.
The article discusses several elements related to affordable rental and cooperative housing in Central and South-Eastern Europe:
The authors mention that the region faces increasing housing inequalities and a deepening housing crisis, with a marginal public housing stock and under-regulated private rental markets. Over 90% of the housing stock is owner-occupied, making it difficult for new entrants to find homes. In that context, a large-scale research project conducted in 2022 across eight countries highlighted the inadequacy of current housing finance tools and the potential demand for alternative housing models. Surveys indicated a significant portion of the population is open to affordable rental and cooperative housing.
The article emphasizes the need for new financial products, such as catalytic capital investments, to bridge the gap in long-term finance for nonprofit housing providers. This approach could kickstart a shift in the housing finance landscape. The main challenges include lack of access to adequate financing, inappropriate regulatory environments, and insufficient organizational capacities. The article calls for progressive policies, philanthropic investments, and the development of ethical financial institutions.
Overall, the article highlights the urgent need for innovative financial solutions and supportive policies to enable the development of affordable rental and cooperative housing in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
MOBA defines its cooperative housing model with several key components such as affordability, anti-speculative approach, cooperative ownership, democratic decision-making, scalability, community functions and advocacy aiming to influence housing policies and regulations in favor of nonprofit and cooperative housing providers.
You can read full article here.
Editing by Ripess Europe
Source: https://moba.coop/
