The Likedeelerei” collective is fighting for affordable housing in Hamburg!

The Likedeelerei” collective is fighting for affordable housing in Hamburg!

In Klein Flottbek, a district of Hamburg, a family plans to pass on their grandfather's legacy to a collective called “Likedeelerei”. The siblings would like to transfer the house, which their grandfather built with the aim of renting it out cheaply, to the Likedeelerei. This initiative aims to acquire real estate and offer disadvantaged people, especially refugees, new perspectives. Simon Stülcken, a member of the Likedeelerei, reports that the house is to be purchased at a price below market value in order to preserve the grandfather's “intellectual legacy”. The house purchase will be financed through donations and loans from supporters, while the collective plans to bypass banks and their profit logic.

The Likedeelerei has already implemented seven projects in Hamburg and a new building in Wilhelmsburg is being planned. 75% of the living space should be given to refugees. The project is a mix of single apartments and apartments for large families. A total of 8,319 apartments were completed in Hamburg in 2024, while the number was 5,999 in 2023. However, the proportion of social housing is alarmingly low: of the new apartments, only 2,261 were social housing, which corresponds to around 27%. The number of social housing units in Hamburg has fallen over the last few years; In 2023 there were still 8% social housing units in stock - a significant decline from over 100,000 in 2011 to around 80,000.

Shared housing and support for refugees

The new building in Wilhelmsburg is a robust financing model: 1 million euros in equity is supplemented by 9 million euros from loans and city funding. However, there is a risk for the supporters when investing in a bank, as the bank has priority in the event of insolvency. The collective sees itself as a “little cousin of the rental house syndicate” (MHS), which is active in 201 projects nationwide, including ten in Hamburg. The MHS houses are self-managed and owned by a GmbH that controls sales with veto rights. The Likedeelerei also has a similar structure: its GmbH owns all the properties and is strengthened by a tenants' association and a foundation for control.

The concept of Likedeelerei also has a clear social orientation. A single African woman will live in one of the apartments in Klein Flottbek and will receive support from her neighbors when dealing with the authorities. The siblings want to ensure that people who have little chance on the free housing market can live in their house.

Social housing and its challenges

In parallel to the Likedeelerei initiatives, organizations such as Fördern & Wohnen also offer important support for people without a home or those who cannot find suitable accommodation. Accommodations with the perspective of living, which are part of public accommodation, are only available to refugees with secure prospects of staying. These facilities are designed to help residents find their own apartment and return to independence.

In these accommodations, residents are introduced to their obligations as tenants and take on their own responsibility for electricity contracts as well as telephone and television connections. The accommodation meets the standard of social housing, either built by private investors, building cooperatives or the SAGA GWG. Fördern & Wohnen rents these apartments for a maximum of 15 years, with many locations already offering vacant apartments. In Ohlendiekshöhe, Fördern & Wohnen acts as both builder and operator.

The developments mentioned make it clear that innovative approaches to combating the housing shortage and supporting disadvantaged population groups are underway in Hamburg. Both Likedeelerei and Fördern & Wohnen rely on solidarity and community commitment to create hope in a challenging housing market situation.

For more information about Likedeelerei see taz, and for details about the accommodations with Perspective Living, visit Support & Housing.