GWG Hombruch-Barop eG is a housing cooperative based in Dortmund, Germany, founded on 15 November 1896 by local residents seeking to provide housing for members. The cooperative was registered the following January as the Spar- und Bauverein Barop-Hombruch; it adopted the name Gemeinnützige Wohnungsgenossenschaft Hombruch-Barop in 1947. 345
Its housing stock is concentrated in Dortmund’s southern districts of Hombruch, Barop, Menglinghausen and Persebeck, giving the organisation a local rather than national or international focus. 1 The cooperative reports having around 1,700 registered members. 1
GWG offers homes ranging from one-room apartments to larger, two-storey units. It says it assesses vacant apartments for reletting and modernises them where necessary to meet current housing standards. Its planning takes account of different household needs, including larger homes for families and barrier-free apartments for older people and tenants with physical disabilities. 1
A central feature of its model is the members’ right of continued use: the cooperative states that, provided tenants meet their contractual obligations, its ability to terminate tenancies is limited. It describes its aim as providing secure, affordable and intergenerational housing, and says it involves members in the cooperative’s affairs. 1 Rents are set with reference to economic considerations and the rent ranges in Dortmund’s rent index. 1
The organisation’s current contact page lists its office at Löttringhauser Str. 77a, 44225 Dortmund, and identifies Patrick Varney as a member of the executive board. 11 The official site does not list LinkedIn or Instagram profiles. 1