Habitat & Partage is a French Société Coopérative d’Intérêt Collectif (SCIC SA) with variable capital, based at 245 rue Duguesclin in Lyon. 412 The organisation was established as an association in 2015 and converted into a cooperative company in 2018. 212
Its stated purpose is to make alternative ways of living and living together more accessible, based on citizen participation, social connections and sustainability. 21 The organisation works with residents, professionals, local authorities and other stakeholders on participatory and cooperative housing projects. 511 Its activities include advising resident groups, providing training, supporting professionals and public authorities, and developing housing projects through its citizen-owned property company. 71114
Through its housing cooperative model, residents can become both tenants and members of the cooperative, acquiring shares and participating in governance. 7 Habitat & Partage’s property activities seek to create housing that is participatory, environmentally responsible, socially mixed and less exposed to speculation. 8 The cooperative also brings together several categories of members, including employees, residents, partners, public bodies, solidarity investors and supporters. 8
The organisation was founded by Benjamin Pont, who is identified as its founder and President-Director General. 212 Before founding Habitat & Partage, Pont worked for approximately ten years in assistance to project owners in sustainable housing and development. 5
Its operational focus is primarily the Lyon metropolitan area and the wider Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, although its training and expertise address participatory housing more broadly in France. 1314 The organisation’s LinkedIn profile lists Lyon as its headquarters. 6