VdW Rheinland Westfalen, formally the Verband der Wohnungs- und Immobilienwirtschaft Rheinland Westfalen e.V., is a regional association representing socially oriented housing providers. Its headquarters are in Düsseldorf, Germany, and its area of activity covers North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate. 91
The association describes itself as Germany’s largest regional association for socially oriented housing. It represents around 480 member companies and housing cooperatives, whose approximately 1.1 million homes in North Rhine-Westphalia house about one in five people who rent there. 1 Its members include cooperative, municipal, public, church-affiliated, industry-linked and private housing organisations. 1
VdW’s work includes representing members’ interests and providing them with services and advice. Its members aim to keep housing affordable while addressing climate protection and accessibility, and they work on building and energy innovations and stronger community life in residential areas. 1 Members also cooperate through local and regional working groups to discuss housing-market challenges across the association’s territory. 111
The association is organised across three sectors: cooperatives; municipal and public companies; and private-sector and church-affiliated companies. Their representatives work together in the association council. 6 VdW Rheinland Westfalen is also a member of the GdW, the national federation of housing and real-estate companies. 1
The association’s board includes Verbandsdirektor Alexander Rychter and Prüfungsdirektor Dr. Daniel Ranker; its homepage reports that Norbert Riffel was elected president. 37 One source lists the association’s founding date as 3 July 1903, while its LinkedIn company page gives 1901. 25