Katholisches Siedlungswerk München GmbH (KSWM) is a non-profit housing association based in Munich, originally founded in 1949 in response to acute housing shortages, especially among refugees and displaced families in the post-war era. Guided by principles rooted in Catholic social teaching, its purpose from the outset was to build and manage affordable housing for socially vulnerable groups. In its early decades, KSWM rapidly expanded, completing several thousand homes and evolving from supporting single-family houses to becoming an established social housing provider. By 1996, the organisation formally converted into a GmbH to adapt to changing market conditions.
As of December 2024, KSWM manages 3,147 of its own rental units and oversees 322 units for third parties, with about 20 percent under public housing schemes. The company’s activity covers the entire region of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. KSWM’s core business includes construction and administration of rental housing for its own portfolio, property management for others, third-party construction supervision, and the development and sale of private homes and condominiums.
Recent projects exemplify its ongoing commitment to affordable, sustainable housing. The 74-apartment “Preisgedämpftes Wohnen” in Freiham was completed in 2024, designed for low rents and energy efficiency. The planned “Sozialpastorales Zentrum” in Obergiesing aims to combine social services, childcare, and housing. Other developments include replacing outdated housing stock with new, energy-efficient buildings in locations such as Grafing, Grainau, Ruhpolding, and Großkarolinenfeld. All projects increasingly focus on sustainability, accessibility, and social integration.