Mietshäuser Syndikat, based in Freiburg, Germany, is a network of collectively owned housing projects that originated from the city’s squatting movement in the late 1980s. The initial concept was developed around 1989 at the Grether Project, a former factory occupied and transformed by local activists. Officially established in 1992, the organization sought to create a structure that would protect affordable and self-organized housing from market forces and re-privatization attempts.
Each project within the syndicate is set up as an autonomous limited liability company (GmbH), jointly owned by the residents and the central syndicate entity. This structure grants full control to the residents over everyday management while giving the syndicate veto power over property sales or changes to the ownership model. This legal safeguard aims to keep properties permanently off the speculative real estate market.
Since its founding, Mietshäuser Syndikat has grown considerably. By 2022, the network included 177 self-organized housing projects, and by June 2024, it encompassed 191 projects, with 22 more initiatives seeking properties. These projects range from small family homes to large complexes, including converted factories and barracks. The syndicate covers over 150,000 square meters of living space and houses more than 3,800 residents. Projects exist not only in Germany but also in neighboring countries.
Beyond property acquisition and management, the organization provides financial and organizational support to new groups, funds projects through direct lending, and participates in broader urban policy debates and events in Freiburg and other cities.