Cooperatives - Belval South

Housing cooperatives for Belval South

Building accessible & affordable housing together

Housing is one of the most pressing challenges in Luxembourg. Affordable housing is scarce, yet urgently needed. Housing cooperatives offer an alternative solution: they enable their members to create affordable housing for themselves and thus make an important contribution to solving the housing crisis – today and tomorrow.

Thanks to AGORA, this idea can now become a reality: This call for projects marks the first time in Luxembourg that a plot of land will be allocated exclusively to housing cooperatives.

The location for this pilot project could not be more fitting: Belval South – a new, independent neighborhood in the south of Luxembourg, next to the large park and the Lycée Bel-Val. The plan is to create a diverse, lively neighborhood with family housing, green spaces, playgrounds, quiet streets and its own urban dynamic.

THE CALL FOR PROJECTS

AGORA is providing building land and technical support for housing cooperatives as part of this call for projects. The call for projects dossier can be downloaded here.

Affordable land

This call for projects offers cooperatives the opportunity to acquire a plot of land in the Belval South neighborhood. It is aimed at both existing cooperatives and groups wishing to set up a cooperative. The groups do not apply for a specific plot of land, but rather the appropriate area in the Belval South neighborhood is made available after selection.

Support for founding

AGORA provides the selected group(s) with expert advice to support them in founding their cooperative. This includes guidance through the necessary steps, such as preparing the founding documents, communicating with banks, ministries and notaries, as well as assistance with legal and financial issues. In this way, the future cooperatives receive the support they need to successfully launch their project and master all the administrative steps involved in founding a cooperative.

Who can apply?

Both existing cooperatives (SCOP SIS) and groups intending to set up a cooperative (SCOP SIS) can apply. The size of the applicant groups or existing cooperatives should be between 10 and 20 households.

How to apply?

To apply an application dossier must be submitted. The required documents are described in the application dossier.

The applications dossier must be received by the secretary of AGORA (AGORA s.à r.l. &; Cie, 3, Avenue du Rock’n’ Roll, L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg) no later than 12 p.m. on 15.07.2025.

WHAT IS A HOUSING COOPERATIVE?

A housing cooperative is a company whose purpose is to provide its members with affordable and good housing. The apartments do not belong to individual owners, but to the cooperative as a company. Anyone who lives in a cooperative is always a member of this company. It can therefore be said that living in a cooperative means being a “tenant” in your own home.

The housing cooperative offers :

  • Affordable & accessible rents
    Rents in the cooperative are not profit-oriented but cover costs. This means that it only covers the actual costs of the apartment (loan, administration and maintenance costs).
  • Long-term housing security
    In the cooperative, every member has a lifelong right of residence, which (depending on the articles of association) can also be inherited.
  • Democratic co-determination
    All members of the cooperative have a say in important decisions – from the articles of association to planning and administration.
  • Community living
    Cooperatives promote solidarity and offer the opportunity to plan together – with open spaces, communal rooms or shared gardens.
  • Long-term perspective
    The apartments remain in the ownership of the cooperative. Speculation or sale are therefore ruled out and rents remain affordable in the long term.
  • Adaptable apartments
    Cooperatives often plan flexible floor plans that can adapt to the needs of their residents as they change.
  • Sustainable development
    Surpluses are reinvested – in new projects, renovations or social services.

Timeline

Links and further information :

Download the call for projects

Find members for your cooperative

Exhibition on cooperative housing

“Our New Housing – An Invitation to Cooperate” (until June 2025)