The dream of different living or as Claude Berri said in his 2007 film “Ensemble c´est tout”

In order to address the growing interest in this topic in Chemnitz and to offer interested parties competent advice on the topic of financing and organisational forms, the city of Chemnitz launched the project "Cooperative Housing Chemnitz" - CHF for short - in April 2018. There is a close cooperation between the Housing Agency and CHC.

The CHF team advises interested parties on all questions concerning housing projects:Organisational forms, construction issues and group formation. The Housing Agency answers questions about potential buildings, puts groups in touch with owners and the responsible city offices. In 2018 and 2019, joint events were held and the first successes have been recorded in the meantime.

joint information meeting and site visit of a potential building in 2018

Michael Stellmacher from the team "Cooperative Housing Chemnitz" reports on one of these successful examples. Here, a group of friends is developing a "project house" on Brühl in cooperation with the municipal housing society GGG.

The group decides

Brühl 71 in Chemnitz, future home of the group

In spring 2021, the Brühl 71 project house will still be a building site, somewhere between demolition and construction. But the idea is there: "We want to live here with friends in the same house, watch children grow up together. And together we'll design the project space for the neighbourhood."
The current project house has a long history. The circle of friends has known each other for years and has organised cultural events and festivals together. With their offspring, they gradually added joint children's activities. At some point, the loose idea buzzed around the room "Why don't we move in together?" For some, the loose ideas were no longer enough and they attended a workshop on "legal forms for house projects". At the same time, the housing situation of others became uncertain.
As a result, in the summer of 2018, some friends made a decision: they rummaged through real estate exchanges on the internet, asked the Housing Agency Chemnitz for suitable houses, asked estate agents and simply drove through the city with their eyes open, always looking for suitable empty houses.
With concrete houses in mind, the group deliberated together for a weekend and exchanged views on fundamental questions: Who wants to live how? How will the whole thing be financed? An association emerged from the circle of friends with the aim of creating a "self-organised and socially bound tenement project".
In the beginning, the cost barrier seemed very high; the members of the group also had to get used to the big numbers. Here it helped to deal with financial plans and to see how a purchase price actually affects the rent in the house. Support was provided by the "Mietshäuser Syndikat" association.

There were also setbacks: a house in Altchemnitz was found and a purchase contract was being developed. The group thought they were close to their goal when some cracks in the building raised doubts. Together with the architect of the team ”Cooperative Housing Chemnitz”, there were more detailed investigations. Building damage became apparent that was only visible at second glance. Refurbishment would thus have meant very great financial risks. With a heavy heart, the group said goodbye again to the dream property.

The second attempt at Brühl

The Brühlboulevard former GDR showcase district, after 1990 almost forgotten, now comes back to life

In the summer of 2019, the group got in touch with the GGG (municipal housing society). After lengthy negotiations, it was finally agreed that the GGG would take over the basic renovation of the house and that the association would carry out the interior work itself. In this way, everyone has the opportunity to design the flats themselves and to fit them out according to their own ideas. Long-term planning is possible due to the term of 15 years with the option of a long-term lease, for another 15 years. This way, the rents remain affordable in the long term and the residents' investment costs can be paid off again.
As soon as the contract was signed in November 2020, things got underway: many bricks were moved into containers, construction meetings and planning sessions were held. Corona didn't make it any easier, but a house like this offers a lot of space to work in different places.

On the upper floors, space is being created for communal living: Each of the four parties (three families and one flat-sharing community) has a flat, but communal living is at the top of the list: "We see the house as a house of open doors. is how Frank from the project group describes it. This is already evident: "Decisions are made together, everyone meets once a week." The interior work is also done jointly - everyone pitches in. Whether it's preparing the house or looking after the children.

The courtyard is to be used as a communal courtyard together with the neighbours. On the ground floor, the "project room" opens onto the Brühl. In addition to a large kitchen, a community room is being built here that will also be available to other associations in the neighbourhood. And they are already thinking about how the ideas of the association can find a place within the framework of the Capital of Culture 2025.

ZUHAUSE = at home. The group has found a home on the Brühl

written by Michael Stellmacher "Cooperative Housing Chemnitz" and Sabine Hausmann Housing Agency Chemnitz