Die Duisburger Wohnungsgenossenschaften is an association of eight housing cooperatives and housing organisations operating primarily in Duisburg, Germany. 1 The organisation was founded in 2003 as the association “Die Duisburger Wohnungsgenossenschaften. Ein sicherer Hafen.” 3
Together, the eight partners provide approximately 15,000 cooperative homes for residents in Duisburg and the surrounding region. 13 The participating organisations include housing cooperatives based in Duisburg’s districts of Ruhrort, Friemersheim, Rheinhausen, Rheinpreußen, Mitte, Hamborn and the south, as well as Wohnungsgesellschaft Ruhrgebiet mbH, whose registered address is in Dinslaken. 1 The group’s geographic scope is therefore local and regional, although its central public identity is closely connected to the city of Duisburg. 13
The association represents cooperative housing as a form of long-term, member-oriented provision. Its stated purpose is to support the creation and maintenance of affordable housing for members. 1 The member organisations also use their joint public presence to communicate with the public and to coordinate socially oriented information and activities. 3
Its activities extend beyond letting homes. The organisations have supported local cultural and community events, including the International Children’s and Young People’s Book Exhibition (IKiBu), the Sommerkino at Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord and the Lichterlauf at the Regattabahn. 1 The group also promotes vocational entry: the website reports that eleven apprentices were employed across the Duisburg housing cooperatives and that approximately five new apprentices are added each year. 1
Markus Kansy, chair of the Duisburg-Niederrhein regional working group and chief executive of Wohnungsgenossenschaft Duisburg-Mitte eG, is a publicly identified senior figure in the wider regional cooperative housing network.