Ametsak Sortzen Elkartea, meaning “Creating/Fulfilling Dreams,” is a Basque network focused on cohousing, collaborative housing, covivienda and housing cooperatives based on the right of use. It was created in January 2018 and brings together individuals, families, projects and professionals interested in promoting and developing community-based housing models.2
The organisation’s stated mission is to facilitate community-living projects as socially sustainable and accessible forms of housing, while supporting the right of each community of people and families to have a home.2 Its work includes disseminating information about cohousing, encouraging the creation of new projects, connecting people and initiatives, and promoting legal changes that facilitate collaborative housing.17
Ametsak Sortzen presents cohousing as a model combining private homes with shared spaces designed and managed by residents. It links this approach to more efficient use of resources, cooperation and stronger social relationships.1 In the cooperative right-of-use model, the cooperative owns the property while members receive an indefinite right of use at cost, positioning the model between renting and ownership and limiting real-estate speculation.11
The organisation operates primarily within the Basque Country, where it describes itself as a Basque cohousing association and network.17 An external profile identifies its location as Barakaldo, Bizkaia, and defines its field of activity as the Basque Autonomous Community.12 Its activities include educational workshops, networking and public events; recent programming has addressed group formation, project locations, architecture, cooperative structures and financing.3 It also promoted a 2025 study on cooperative housing in rural areas of the Basque Country.2
Isabel Izcue is identified as the organisation’s president and an architect associated with Ametsak Sortzen Elkartea.8