Catalonia's first feminist housing cooperative opens in Barcelona

The first feminist housing cooperative in Catalonia was inaugurated on Sunday in Barcelona's Nou Barris district, a milestone for alternative housing models.

One hundred people attended the inauguration ceremony organized by the La Morada cooperative.

The building, built on private land donated by Fundació Dinamo, was financed by contributions from its 89 members, a cooperative loan from COP57 and government aid.

The €1.9 million project promotes an alternative to the patriarchal housing model, which often relegates caregiving to women.

"The nuclear family model is outdated," explains Míriam Solà, a member of La Morada.

Designed by the cooperative architecture studio Lacol, the spaces are meant to be open, safe, and communal, meeting needs that are not met in traditional housing.

"It's more than a home, it's the creation of an alternative lifestyle, far from the patriarchal model," says resident Sílvia Merino.

Members have paid an initial contribution of between €25,000 and €30,000 and will pay a fixed monthly fee, giving them a secure and affordable alternative amid Catalonia's soaring housing costs.  

Residents emphasize that the cooperative offers a "much more accessible option, both for renting and owning," with fixed fees and a 60-year land lease ensuring long-term stability.

"This is one of the few cooperatives in Catalonia that is fighting speculation, reclaiming land from the private market and reinvesting it for social use," adds Solà.  

With 12 units classified as social housing, the building includes communal spaces such as a shared kitchen, laundry room and creative work areas. Inside each unit, glass doors and an open kitchen greet residents and visitors.  

"We wanted to break away from conventional housing designs with closed rooms and isolated windows, so we placed the kitchen at the heart of each unit - open and central," explains one of Lacol's architects.