First cooperative housing building in Vilafranca set to open in 2026

The first cooperative housing building in Vilafranca del Penedès, south of Barcelona, is under construction. 

The symbolic foundation stone of the building was laid on Saturday with the goal to be completed by the end of 2026. 

The cooperative La Bastida was created seven years ago with the idea of implementing cooperative housing.  

This project is aimed at setting an example of a "model that can be reproduced to guarantee the right to affordable housing for everyone," said Anna Bota, member of La Bastida. 

An association with Sostre Cívic, a larger cooperative in Catalonia, convinced the city council to release public plots of land to allow the 'La Batida – Pati de Gall' project to come into existence. 

Following the model of cooperative housing, families will have to make an initial contribution of between €20,000 and €35,000 and pay a monthly fee of €600 to €1,000 to live in the apartments. 

Carlos Alcoba, director of Sostre Cívic stresses that aside from the construction company, the rest of the agents involved in the process don't make a profit.  

"The intention is to guarantee stability in order to create a family, social fabric, neighborhood and community,” he said. 

The building, with some flats reserved for people under 35, will be based on a wooden structure and include communal areas in keeping with the idea of creating a "collective and sustainable" model. 

The construction of the cooperative housing building also gave the opportunity to open a public square, creating a community space for the Espirall neighborhood. 

The mayor of Vilafranca said he was giving his support to "technically and economically viable" initiatives such as this one.  

The city council has already begun several affordable housing projects for young people and the elderly. 

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