Introduction â Resource Context
This research paper, titled âGrowth for people, not for profit: the internal factors behind the expansion of housing cooperatives in Berlin,â is authored by Leonie Laug and Corinna Hölzl. Leonie Laug works as a climateâadaptation manager for the FriedrichshainâKreuzberg district in Berlin, linking municipal policy and housing resilience. Corinna Hölzl is a postâdoctoral researcher at HumboldtâUniversityâs Geography Department, focusing on communityâled housing and socioâecological transformation. The article appears in the peerâreviewed journal Housing Studies (ISSN 0267â3037 / 1466â1810), published by Informa UK (Taylor & Francis) and is openly accessible under a Creative Commons Attribution licence.
Scope â Why Berlin Cooperatives Matter
Berlin hosts a substantial cooperative housing sector, accounting for 11.3 % of the cityâs rental stock (â190 000 units). Large mature cooperativesâthose with over 1 000 unitsârepresent a significant share of affordable housing and provide a useful case for panâEuropean analysis of nonâprofit housing models. The study investigates internal drivers of expansion, complementing existing literature that mainly addresses institutional and policy contexts.
Methodology â Mixed Qualitative Comparative Analysis
The authors combine Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) with expert and board interviews. QCA was applied to 37 mature cooperatives (out of 44 identified) using fuzzyâset calibration of four characteristics: size, geographical dispersion, memberâunit ratio, and historical type (GrĂŒnderzeit vs. GDR). Interviews involved five experts (city administrator, lobbyist, network representative, and two board members) and ten board members from cooperatives of varying size and expansion history. The analysis covers expansion between 2011 and 2021.
Key Findings â Four Internal Factors
- Physical Scale & Dispersion â Cooperatives with â„ 3 000 units and a geographically dispersed stock expanded by an average of > 50 units over ten years; 15 of 16 such cases showed expansion.
- Commitment to Material Expansion â Boards that prioritize new development or purchase, often to accommodate nonâresident members, drive growth, while others focus on maintenance and avoid expansion.
- Board Cohesion â Unified executive boards are essential; divergent board opinions markedly reduce the likelihood of expansion.
- PathâDependent Expansion Trajectories â Historical land acquisitions and past investment decisions shape current capacity to expand, especially for cooperatives founded in the GrĂŒnderzeit era.
Expansion Outcomes â Scale and Limits
Large cooperatives (â„ 4 000 units) with dispersed locations achieved the highest growth, adding 500â1 100 units in the decade. However, expansion often comes at the expense of affordability, as higher construction costs lead to rent levels that can be double the cooperativeâs traditional rates. The study notes a tradeâoff: while expansion increases housing stock, it may weaken democratic participation and internal solidarity.
Governance vs. Democratic Practices
Boards possess formal decisionâmaking power that can bypass member assemblies, especially when resident members oppose projects. This centralization can limit democratic deliberation but also enables faster project execution. The research highlights a tension between nonâprofit orientation and marketâdriven logic, with many cooperatives focusing on internal member needs rather than broader societal solidarity.
Sustainability Implications â Lessons for Europe
The findings suggest that size and spatial dispersion are preconditions for sustainable scaling of cooperative housing, but robust governance and affordability safeguards are required to maintain the sectorâs social mission. Policymakers aiming to promote cooperative models across Europe should consider:
- Supporting land access for large, dispersed cooperatives.
- Enhancing financing mechanisms that keep rents affordable during expansion.
- Encouraging board training and participatory structures to preserve democratic governance.
Conclusion â Integrated Perspective
The paper concludes that internal factorsâparticularly the combination of large, dispersed housing stock and cohesive, expansionâoriented boardsâexplain most of the observed growth in Berlinâs mature cooperatives. Nonetheless, expansion alone does not guarantee democratic resilience or longâterm affordability, underscoring the need for policies that align physical growth with the cooperative ethos of solidarity and sustainability.

