AI-Generated Summary
The Union of Czech and Moravian Housing Cooperatives (SČMBD), headquartered in Prague, is the largest organized manager of housing stock in the Czech Republic. Its membership consists of around 640 housing cooperatives and communities, overseeing approximately 650,000 residential and non-residential units. This network represents the management of more than 13,000 associations of unit owners (SVJ), making up about 18% of all apartments in the country.
SČMBD's history can be traced to the early cooperative movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable milestones include involvement in the construction and management of significant buildings such as Prague’s National Theatre and the Petřín tower in the late 1800s. The cooperative movement experienced robust growth during the First Republic era (1918–1938), driven by legislative support for affordable housing. Transformations after 1989, including the privatization of cooperative housing stock, led to the creation of over 72,000 legal entities (SVJs) as cooperative apartments were converted to private ownership.
Today, SČMBD’s scope covers property management, legal and technical services for its member organizations, and representation in policy discussions—recently contributing to the Czech housing concept for 2021–2030. The union continues to advocate for cooperative and rental housing models, participating in national debates about housing affordability and urban policy. Current projects include piloting modern energy-saving renovations and promoting various forms of cooperative housing in response to the housing crisis.