Non-profit housing cooperative

What Non-profit housing cooperative does

Gemeinnützige Wohnungs-Genossenschaft e.G. Neuss (GWG Neuss) is a registered non-profit housing cooperative (Genossenschaft e.G.) founded in 1901 in Neuss, Germany, operating approximately 3,700 rental apartments across Neuss and Kaarst. Roughly one-third of the stock is publicly subsidized (WBS-required) and the remaining two-thirds is privately financed at below-market rates. Access to housing is gated by cooperative membership: prospective residents acquire 10 Genossenschaftsanteile at €155 each (€1,550 total) plus an €80 entry fee, granting rental access, voting rights, and dividend eligibility of up to 4% per annum on share capital. The cooperative celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2026.

GWG delivers its core offering through a member-owned governance model with a Vorstand (executive board) led by Stefan Zellnig and an Aufsichtsrat chaired by Heinz Runde, alongside a network of district caretaker offices. The wholly-owned subsidiary GWG – Gesellschaft für Wohnungs- und Gewerbe-Bau GmbH, founded in 1990, extends the operating perimeter into third-party property management (WEG- and Mietverwaltung), developer sales (Bauträgergeschäft, >400 units delivered), and daycare facility leasing to the cities of Neuss and Kaarst. The technology stack is utility-grade: digital member services (online damage reporting via the website), embedded video, an ImmoSolve-powered online apartment inquiry system, and a Fiber-to-the-Home rollout with net.D. underway.

The business model combines recurring residential rental income, cooperative share capital and dividends, GWG GmbH property management and developer revenue, and ancillary member services (guest apartments, a partner network of 52+ vacation destinations via Marketinginitiative der Wohnungsbaugenossenschaften Deutschland e.V., apartment exchanges, dementia living group). Sustainability and modernization programs include pellet heating retrofits (reducing CO2 from 401 to 72 tonnes/year across 33 houses/151 apartments), balcony solar (Balkonkraftwerke), e-mobility charging with Stadtwerke Neuss, biodiversity initiatives, and a stated target of approximately 25% climate-neutral real estate by 2025 with full climate-neutral operations targeted for 2045.

Name

Non-profit housing cooperative

Legal name

Gemeinnützige Wohnungs-Genossenschaft e.G.

Website

https://gwg-neuss.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GWG Neuss is a non-profit German housing cooperative founded in 1901, managing approximately 3,700 below-market rental apartments across Neuss and Kaarst for member-residents, with subsidiary services in third-party property management and real estate development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Cooperative Housing / Residential Rental

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (531110)

SIC

Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management (BPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Non-profit housing cooperative
• Affordable rental housing
• Cooperative membership housing
• Residential property management
• Subsidized housing Neuss

Headquarters

HQ city

Neuss

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Residential Rental Income: Primary revenue stream from renting approximately 3,700 apartments to cooperative members in Neuss and Kaarst. Rent includes operating costs, with one-third publicly subsidized housing.
2. Property Management Services: GWG GmbH (100% subsidiary) provides residential property management, commercial property management, and developer services. Also rents daycare facilities to cities of Neuss and Kaarst.
3. Property Sales (Bauträger): GWG GmbH develops and sells condominiums and single-family homes. Over 400 completed units delivered to date.
4. Membership Dividends: Genossenschaftsanteile (cooperative shares) generate dividends of up to 4% per year. Shares begin accruing interest on the first day of the full calendar year, with dividends paid mid-year following shareholder assembly approval.
5. Guest Apartment Rentals: Three guest apartments available for members, plus network of partner housing cooperatives across Germany offering approximately 52 vacation destinations for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GWG Neuss is a non-profit housing cooperative providing affordable rental housing to its members in Neuss and Kaarst through approximately 3,700 apartments, of which about one-third are publicly subsidized (WBS-required) and the remainder are privately financed at below-market rates. Prospective residents must first acquire membership by purchasing 10 cooperative shares at €155 each plus an €80 entry fee. The cooperative supplements rental housing with member services (guest apartments, dementia housing group, apartment exchange, emergency repairs) and, through its wholly-owned subsidiary GWG GmbH, offers condominium property management, rental property management, and real estate development services.

Product overview

GWG Neuss is a non-profit housing cooperative operating as a unified cooperative organization with its wholly-owned subsidiary GWG GmbH. The core offering is affordable rental housing through cooperative membership, supplemented by property management and development services through the subsidiary. The main products include: (1) Rental apartments in Neuss and Kaarst for members (3,700 units), split between publicly subsidized and privately financed housing; (2) Construction/new development projects for portfolio expansion; (3) GWG GmbH services including condominium management, rental property management, and real estate development/sales; (4) Member services including guest apartments, dementia living groups, apartment exchanges, and emergency repairs; (5) Sustainability initiatives including photovoltaic installations, heat pumps, E-mobility charging infrastructure, species protection, and fiber optic expansion. The cooperative's business model combines affordable housing provision with modern infrastructure upgrades and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mieten (Rental Housing)

Quantifiable outcome

• Rents are below the market rates of cities Neuss and Kaarst
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GWG GmbH (100% subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990GWG GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of the cooperative, founded in 1990. It handles property management (WEG, Mieter, general), developer/bauträger business, and rental of daycare facilities to municipalities. Also provides construction and property management services to the parent cooperative.
• Stadtwerke NeusscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for E-charging infrastructure. Stadtwerke Neuss operates the charging stations with eco-power (Ökostrom) from hydroelectric sources. Provides charging infrastructure at GWG properties including semi-public stations and wallbox-equipped parking spaces in underground garages.
• ImmoProConsult GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal data protection officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) for GWG e.G. and GWG GmbH. Located at Kanzlerstraße 2, 40472 Düsseldorf.
• Marketinginitiative der Wohnungsbaugenossenschaften Deutschland e.V.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational network of 423 housing cooperatives enabling GWG members to access guest apartments across Germany. GWG has participated since 2013, offering approximately 52 vacation destinations.
• Allgemeine Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Eisenach eGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnergenossenschaft (partner cooperative) providing guest apartment rentals for GWG members. Located at Stregdaer Alle 44a, 99817 Eisenach.
• Wohnungsgenossenschaft Pro Leipzig eGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnergenossenschaft providing guest apartment rentals for GWG members. Located at Bitterfelder Straße 7-9, 04129 Leipzig.
• Gemeinnützige Wohnungsgenossenschaft Weimar eGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnergenossenschaft providing guest apartment rentals for GWG members. Located at Ettersburger Straße 64, 99423 Weimar.
• Warener Wohnungsgenossenschaft eGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnergenossenschaft providing guest apartment rentals for GWG members. Located at Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Straße 8, 17192 Waren (Müritz).
• Wernigeröder Wohnungsgenossenschaft eGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnergenossenschaft providing guest apartment rentals for GWG members. Located at Weidenweg 1a, 38855 Wernigerode.
• Verband der Wohnungs- und Immobilienwirtschaft Rheinland Westfalen e.V.coreOthersPrüfungsverband (auditing association) for GWG e.G. and GWG GmbH. Located at Goltsteinstraße 29, 40211 Düsseldorf. Provides regulatory oversight and auditing services as required for Genossenschaft entities.
• ERGO Versicherung AGminorOthersProfessional liability insurance provider (Berufshaftpflichtversicherung) for the cooperative. Located at ERGO-Platz 1, 40477 Düsseldorf.
• Provinzial Rheinland Versicherung AG /Provinzial ServiceCenter Neuss-Nord oHGminorOthersInsurance provider for GWG GmbH. Located at Venloer Straße 186, 41462 Neuss.
• ImmoProConsult GmbHminorOthersData protection officer. Located at Brückenstraße 5, 51379 Leverkusen-Opladen.
• Elektrotechnik KleinofenminorOthersRecommended electrical contractor for balcony power plant (Balkonkraftwerk) installations. Phone: 02131-125730.
• Roland Püllen GmbHminorOthersNew partner since January 1, 2026 for maintenance and repair of gas individual heaters (Gas-Einzelthermen). Phone: 02132.971212.
• net.D.coreTechnology or IntegrationFiber optic network operator implementing the Glasfaserausbau (fiber optic expansion) project. Netzebene 3 (building connection) is over 95% complete, with Netzebene 4 (apartment connection) underway.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allgemeine Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Eisenach eG: Housing cooperative explicitly listed as a GWG partner cooperative, providing guest apartment rentals across Germany. Closely comparable legal form (eingetragene Genossenschaft) and member-shareholder rental model.
• Vivawest: One of the largest residential housing companies in North Rhine-Westphalia with tens of thousands of apartments for rent. Operates in the same NRW geography as GWG Neuss with a comparable rental housing model, though on a much larger, for-profit scale.
• HOWOGE: Public housing company in Berlin managing over 80,000 apartments with a public-interest mandate similar to GWG's cooperative mission. Comparable business model of providing affordable rental housing at scale, though focused on the Berlin market.
• LEG Immobilien: NRW-focused residential property company managing approximately 166,000 apartments across the region. Direct geographic overlap with GWG Neuss in NRW, serving similar tenant segments with a rental housing model, though publicly listed and for-profit.
• degewo: Berlin-based public housing company with over 75,000 apartments, owned by the State of Berlin. Closely comparable mission of providing affordable, stable rental housing to broad tenant populations, similar to GWG's cooperative ethos.
• Bauverein AG: Housing cooperative and property company in Darmstadt and the Rhine-Main region. Operates a similar cooperative-style housing model with member shareholders, rental portfolio management, and community services analogous to GWG Neuss.
• GESOBAU: Berlin municipal housing company managing approximately 45,000 apartments with a public-interest mandate to provide affordable housing. Highly comparable in mission and tenant-facing services to GWG's cooperative rental model.

Broad incumbents

• Vonovia: Europe's largest residential real estate company with over 500,000 apartments across Germany, including NRW. Operates a national rental housing platform that competes with GWG at scale, though it is a publicly listed for-profit incumbent rather than a cooperative.
• Deutsche Wohnen: Major German residential property company with a portfolio of approximately 140,000 units, focused on metropolitan areas. Comparable in core activity (residential rental) though concentrated in Berlin and other major cities rather than mid-sized NRW cities.
• TAG Immobilien: German residential real estate company focused on northern and eastern German markets with over 80,000 apartments. Comparable rental housing business model, though listed and for-profit rather than cooperative-structured.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Non-profit housing cooperative