Freiraum Alfter e.V.

Freiraum Alfter practices "housing for the common good" (gemeinnütziges Wohnen). This was facilitated by German law when the group was founded in 19___; the law allowed Freiraum Alfter to offer people a peer-governed "room for living and working beyond conventional property regimes to its members." SARAH, CAN YOU PROVIDE THE EXACT REFERENCE AND DETAILS ON THE LAW'S PRIMARY PROVISION?]

Freiraum Alfter opened a space for developing new, experimental forms of solidarity living and working together. It makes housing affordable through "civic financing." [NEEDS DESCRIPTION] Its long term goal is to withdraw houses from the market, and to contribute to an economically "sustainable lifestyle" through shared use of buildings and lots.

The organization is open to and encourages intergenerational forms of co-living. They wish to enhance the sense of co-responsibility and promote the manual and technical skills of its members.

In the mid-1980s, the German law that enabled Freiraum Alfter's work was changed, making it more difficult for others to emulate the project.

Participating housing projects jointly coordinate whatever work is needed relating to the purchase of housing, credit management, legal aspects of renovation, assurances, infrastructure, public obligations, and renting. The "Verein," as only legal owner of all buildings, is formally accountable.

More everyday matters such as internal organization, renovation of houses, and the like, are coordinated separately by the inhabitants of each house, all of whom are members of the 'Verein', FreiRaum Alfter e.V.. Each receives a usage contract which establishes the monthly use fee (not rent) as well as the monthly obligations towards the 'Verein' and the shared goal.

Some members serve on the organization's board and others participate in circles set up for coordinating various activities. But under the new governance structure, people do not necessarily represent "their" house. [WHAT new governance structure? You mean the one adopted after the law was rescinded?]

When houses are purchased, they are fully financed through different kinds of credit. About 80% of them are financed by GLS, a socially and ecologically responsible bank, html , with mortgages that run for 20 to 25 years.

The other 20% of houses are usually covered by so-called "guaranteed credits" of five-year terms (Bürgschaftskredit). These are loans that other individuals guarantee on behalf of residents and/or private loans from personal networks and the wider community.

Recently also direct credits are accepted (SARAH - I am not sure I understand the difference btw the GLS, Bürgschafts- and Direktkredit). See financing model html

The rent that members pay for living in the houses goes toward repaying the loans and paying for renovations. These rents are composed by: clearance rate + lump sum for renovation + lump sum for additional housing costs (Nebenkosten). [??]

@ SARAH: ONCE the credits are paid back, the rents become lower and lower, right? You basically only pay a usage fee, then. And what happens, of- say - all people leave a house or if there is considerable income. Who will be the heir of the houses?

Moreover, there have organized so called "running dinners". A highly fun and successful way to create a space of commonality, share skills, get to know each other (people from the other houses), have a great and diverse menu and get a few things coordinated. A "running dinner" means: Each course of a longer menue is prepared by different people in different houses. The "guests" then have soup in one place with a bunch of people, main course in another place with another bunch of people and dessert yet in another place with again new people. The dinner often ends up with a party.

Most of the members of Freiraum Alfter Honor Care & Decommodified Work. In 2016 an organizational restructuring began,

Care activities for the collective process and giving it the time it requires, with a clear goal of bringing it to a successful end in due time but not in a distant future, are explicitely honored.

If a loan for a specific house is entirely paid back, the inhabitants continue paying the use fee for remaining loans for other houses. This is a way to Pool, Cap & Mutualize within the federation. A solidarity, civic co-financing mecanism (solidarische Umverteilung).

But the idea of "self-sustaining financing" at the house-group level is important. Within the houses, some groups contribute to the use fee according through a so called "bidding round", as in many projects of Community Supported Agriculture. Others find other solutions. In some cases there is a general decoupling of giving and taking. In others there isn't. Each house-group is self-goverened.

When it comes to additional costs like electricity, water, sewage, waste management etc there is a "per capita share", because the additional costs (Nebenkosten); are covered collectively without calculating everybodies individual use. A clear example of decoupling of giving and taking.

Be Creatively Adaptive "Right now we adapt to the situation that a key admon person is leaving and a new organizational structure based on circles is emerging.", see Freiraum Alfter Peer Governance

In a similar vein the construction and rennovation processes are based on carefully observing what's there and what's possible, and then finding good and sometimes new solutions for the respective needs.