Kooperatywa Mieszkaniowa Nowe Żerniki is a resident-led housing initiative within Nowe Żerniki, a model neighbourhood in Wrocław, Poland. The city set aside three plots in the centre of the district for housing cooperatives, with residents organising to build homes for their own needs. 13
The scheme was initiated by the City of Wrocław as part of a broader neighbourhood plan that combines housing of different types and standards with public facilities and services. These include city-supported rental housing, a senior citizens’ home, schools and childcare, a cultural centre, a market and a commercial street. 111 The wider Nowe Żerniki project began in 2011, while the city’s first cooperative plot tender took place in 2014. 711
Plots were offered through public tenders, with commercial entities excluded. Bids were assessed not only on price but also on architectural proposals and the amount and quality of planned shared space. Applicants had to submit an agreement for joint project delivery and a financing plan. The plots were made available under perpetual usufruct, at starting prices described as 80% lower than if the land had been sold. 1
The city also supported the process by adapting lessons from Berlin’s Baugruppen, preparing model agreements with legal advisers and joining discussions with banks when groups faced difficulties securing finance. 19 Shared facilities across the three projects include storage for prams and bicycles and a communal room; proposals also included service spaces such as a dental surgery, a kindergarten and a café. 1
Developer: The initiative was city-led by the City of Wrocław; resident groups were responsible for organising and delivering their individual cooperative projects. 18