A New Role for Governments in Housing Production? An Analysis of State and Local Government Support for Collaborative Housing Projects in Germany

In Germany, collaborative housing arrangements (Baugruppen or Baugemeinschaften) have been experiencing growing popularity since the 1990s (Krokfors 2014; Schelisch et al. 2019). However, their realisation can present considerable challenges to the communities advancing such projects. In a context of public sector withdrawal from housing production, German state governments and municipalities have taken on a different role in supporting housing initiatives. Notably, they have become important mediators in the planning and development processes of Baugruppen, be it through offering advice, financial support, or facilitating access to building land. Reflecting the federal system of government and the strong role of local authorities in urban planning, across the nation different models are emerging on government support for co-housing initiatives to navigate the legal, financial and planning implications. The focus of this contribution is on the role of the public sector, at different jurisdictional levels, to support co-housing initiatives in Germany, and to identify different approaches and how these have changed over time. Using a historical institutionalist framework (Hall and Taylor 1996, Sorensen 2015), the continuity of and changes to public policies for urban planning, housing and welfare, and processes of institutional change in governmental support for co-housing initiatives in Germany’s multi-level governance system are systematically analysed. The discussion presented in this paper is based on an extensive review of academic, policy and practice literature on co-housing initiatives in Germany since the 1990s, illustrated with examples of case studies of Baugruppen realised at different points in time. This approach allows identifying phases of path dependency in government support offered to Baugruppen in different geographical and institutional contexts as well as the critical junctures affecting policy change and their implications for alternative housing models. The paper concludes with a critical discussion of suitable policy frameworks for planning and community-led housing, and on the role of federal, state and local governments in supporting co-housing initiatives in Germany. References Hall, P. A. and Taylor, R.C.R. (1996). Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms (MPIFG Discussion Paper 1996/6). Online: http://www.mpifg.de/pu/mpifg_dp/dp96-6.pdf Krokfors, K. (2014). Co-housing in the making. Built Environment, 38(2), pp. 309-314. Schelisch, L., Spellerberg, A. and Vollmer, M. (2019). The Cooperative as Legal Form for Cohousing Projects in the German State of Rhineland-Palatinate: A Status Report. Built Environment, 45(3), pp.416-429. Sorensen, A. (2015). Taking path dependence seriously: an historical institutionalist research agenda in planning history. Planning Perspectives, 30(1), pp. 17-38