The SWD is a municipal housing group whose stated purpose is to support good-quality, affordable housing in Düsseldorf, particularly for residents with low or middle incomes. The group comprises three companies with distinct but connected roles.
The SWD Städt. Wohnungsbau-GmbH & Co. KG Düsseldorf (SWD KG I) has operated under its current name since 2016. It is responsible for new housing construction and modernising the property portfolio. The City of Düsseldorf set the groundwork for SWD’s role as an active developer in 2015 by transferring a 74.01% stake in the then housing company and more than 2,000 properties to SWD KG I; the company is wholly owned by the city.
The SWD Städt. Wohnungsgesellschaft Düsseldorf mbH & Co. KG (SWD KG II) handles tenant-related matters, including letting homes and responding to residents’ enquiries. It manages SWD KG I’s housing stock as well as properties belonging mainly to the city and a foundation. As of December 2020, SWD KG II owned 1,278 homes and managed a further 7,155 homes leased to it by SWD KG I. The third company, SWD Städt. Wohnungs-Verwaltungs-GmbH Düsseldorf, serves as the managing general partner of both limited partnerships; its management is shared with SWD KG I and II.
The organisation is based in Düsseldorf, Germany, and its described housing activities are focused on the city.2 The website’s legal notice names Klaus Feldhaus and Dr. Eva-Maria Illigen-Günther as managing directors.2