Housing Cooperatives

What Housing Cooperatives does

Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz (Verband der gemeinnützigen Wohnbauträger) is the national umbrella association for non-profit housing providers in Switzerland, founded in 1919 and headquartered in Switzerland. It represents approximately 1,300 member housing cooperatives and other gemeinnützige Bauträger that collectively manage roughly 174,000 apartments — about two-thirds of Switzerland's ~2,000 housing cooperatives. The organization functions as a Verband (non-profit association) rather than a commercial enterprise, governed by member delegates and led by Verbandspräsidentin Eva Herzog (a Basel-Stadt Ständerätin) and Direktor Urs Hauser, with Caroline Morel appointed to succeed Hauser effective 1 June 2026.

The association's core offering consists of federally backed financing instruments that channel subsidized capital to member cooperatives: the Fonds de Roulement revolving fund (250M CHF framework credit), Solidaritätsfonds support fund, Solinvest equity-participation program, Soliterra, and the Finanzierungsmarkt intermediary platform. These are administered under the Wohnraumförderungsgesetz and EGW bond-guarantee framework (1.92B CHF for 2027–2033). Complementary service lines include advisory consulting (Beratungen), audit/review services (Revisionsdienstleistungen), insurance offerings, a professional development curriculum (Managementlehrgang, Finanzierungslehrgang, legal and residential management courses), the quarterly Zeitschrift Wohnen journal, the Worlddidac Award-winning Genossenschaften machen Schule educational platform, and the annual Forum des gemeinnützigen Wohnungsbaus conference. Knowledge-sharing infrastructure includes wbg.wiki, coop.dict, and the Projektportal.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues and fees (subscription model), training and event fees, consulting and audit services, insurance intermediation, and publications — supplemented by managed-services revenue tied to administration of federal financing instruments. The association also pursues active political advocacy at municipal, cantonal, and federal levels, most recently securing the anchoring of the Kostenmietmodell in law and multi-year framework credits for non-profit housing promotion. Distribution is federated through five regional associations (Bern-Solothurn, Winterthur, Zentralschweiz, Schaffhausen, Romandie/Armoup), a national online platform (wbg-schweiz.ch), and partnerships with BWO, SBB, WOHNEN SCHWEIZ, the Mieterverband, and EGW.

Name

Housing Cooperatives

Legal name

Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz - Verband der gemeinnützigen Wohnbauträger

Website

https://wbg-schweiz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Swiss umbrella association founded in 1919, representing ~1,300 non-profit housing cooperatives managing ~174,000 apartments; delivers federally backed financing instruments, training, consulting, and political advocacy for the gemeinnütziger Wohnungsbau sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Housing Association Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH), National Housing Finance Agencies & Ministries (FSALAKAB), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Non-profit housing association
• Cooperative housing services
• Affordable housing financing
• Housing policy advocacy
• Cooperative member services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and service fees: The association generates revenue through membership fees from housing cooperatives and fees for services including consulting, training programs, insurance offerings, and publications such as the 'Zeitschrift Wohnen' magazine.
2. Financing intermediation: The organization administers financing instruments including Fonds de Roulement, Solidaritätsfonds, Solinvest, and Soliterra to provide low-cost financing to member housing cooperatives, with funds sourced from federal government programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz is the national umbrella association (Verband) for non-profit housing cooperatives in Switzerland, representing approximately 1,300 member organizations that manage around 174,000 apartments. Its core offerings include subsidized financing instruments (Fonds de Roulement, Solidaritätsfonds, Solinvest, Soliterra, and the Finanzierungsmarkt platform), advisory and audit services for cooperatives, continuing education programs, insurance offerings, the Zeitschrift Wohnen journal, and political advocacy for affordable housing policy at federal, cantonal, and municipal levels.

Product overview

Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz serves as the national umbrella organization for non-profit housing providers in Switzerland, representing approximately 1,300 housing cooperatives and other non-profit housing providers managing over 174,000 apartments. The organization's core offering consists of financing instruments (Finanzierungsmarkt, Fonds de Roulement, Solidaritätsfonds, Solinvest, Soliterra) that provide subsidized capital for housing construction and renovation. It complements these with professional services including advisory consulting, audit services, insurance, and continuing education programs (Managementlehrgang, Finanzierungslehrgang). The organization operates knowledge platforms (Zeitschrift Wohnen journal, wbg.wiki, coop.dict, Projektportal), educational initiatives (Genossenschaften machen Schule), and hosts the annual Forum des gemeinnützigen Wohnungsbaus conference. Founded in 1919, the association provides policy advocacy for affordable housing at municipal, cantonal, and national levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zeitschrift Wohnen: Professional journal publication focused on housing and cooperative living topics
• Finanzierungsmarkt
• Genossenschaften machen Schule

Products and services

• Fonds de Roulement A federal revolving fund operated by the association that channels subsidized loans to non-profit housing cooperatives for property acquisition, construction, and renovation. It is targeted at member housing cooperatives and other non-profit housing providers.
• Solidaritätsfonds (Solidarity Fund) A support fund that provides additional financial assistance to housing cooperatives and non-profit housing providers to complement other financing instruments.
• Solinvest (Equity Participation) An equity participation program that enables non-profit housing providers to access capital for development projects by acquiring equity stakes in cooperative projects.
• Soliterra An additional financing instrument that supports non-profit housing construction and development initiatives managed by member organizations.
• Finanzierungsmarkt (Financing Market) An online financing marketplace platform operated by the association that connects non-profit housing providers with cost-effective financing options and acts as an intermediary for affordable housing finance.
• Beratungen (Advisory Services) Consulting services that support non-profit housing providers with organizational, financial, and operational matters, targeted at member housing cooperatives.
• Revisionsdienstleistungen (Audit Services) Audit and review services for housing cooperatives and non-profit housing organizations, supporting regulatory compliance and governance.
• Weiterbildung (Continuing Education) Professional development programs for housing cooperative professionals, including the Managementlehrgang (Management Program), Finanzierungslehrgang (Financing Program), and additional courses covering legal and operational topics.
• Versicherung (Insurance Services) Insurance offerings arranged through the association to provide member housing cooperatives with collective coverage options at favorable terms.
• Forum des gemeinnützigen Wohnungsbaus An annual national conference and exchange format for the non-profit housing sector that brings together housing cooperatives, politicians, and sector experts to discuss housing policy and best practices, complemented by regional events in cities such as Luzern, Mendrisio, Basel, and Winterthur.
• Zeitschrift Wohnen A quarterly professional journal covering housing policy, building technology, and cooperative management topics, published in collaboration with Armoup (Romandie section) and available by subscription.
• Genossenschaften machen Schule A free educational platform providing teaching materials about cooperative housing for vocational schools, recognized with the Worlddidac Award in 2018 for innovation in education.
• Projektportal (Project Portal) An online portal that enables member cooperatives to share and discover housing development projects, supporting peer exchange across the network.
• wbg.wiki A collaborative wiki platform operated by the association for knowledge sharing among housing cooperative members.
• coop.dict A dictionary tool that provides terminology and definitions related to cooperative housing for use by members and the broader public.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~174,000 apartments managed by member organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen (BWO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Office for Housing operates closely with Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz on housing policy, administering federal housing promotion programs including the Wohnraumförderungsgesetz and Fonds de Roulement. Joint efforts on standardizing cost-rent models and building regulations.
• SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBB and Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz jointly developed model building right (Baurecht) contracts to enable non-profit housing on SBB-owned land, facilitating affordable housing development near public transport hubs.
• WOHNEN SCHWEIZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe other national umbrella organization for non-profit housing in Switzerland. Both organizations jointly advocate for housing policy and affordable housing promotion at federal level, though maintaining separate memberships.
• Schweizerischer Mieterinnen- und MieterverbandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advocacy coalition for affordable housing, including media conferences supporting the 'Mehr bezahlbare Wohnungen' initiative and other housing policy reforms.
• Regional associations (Bern-Solothurn, Winterthur, Zentralschweiz, Schaffhausen, Romandie)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional associations serve as local chapters providing services, training, networking, and representation for member cooperatives in their respective geographic areas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sveriges Allmännytta: Swedish national association for public-interest housing providers. Operates a similar federated model for non-profit and municipal housing companies, with comparable policy-advocacy and member-services functions, making it a structurally analogous peer.
• Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen (GdW): Germany's national umbrella for housing and real-estate companies, including cooperative, municipal, and private members. Comparable scale and federated advocacy role, though operating in a different national regulatory environment.
• Schweizerischer Verband der Immobilienwirtschaft (SVIT): The Swiss real-estate industry's principal trade association. It serves a broader commercial real-estate membership but overlaps with Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz on training, advocacy, and professional-development services.
• Hauseigentümerverband Schweiz (HEV): Switzerland's largest homeowner and property-owner association. While focused on private ownership rather than non-profit cooperatives, it operates the same membership-association model and competes for influence in Swiss housing-policy debates.

Others

• Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen (BWO): The Federal Office for Housing is Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz's primary federal partner and administers the Wohnraumförderungsgesetz and Fonds de Roulement. It is not a peer competitor but the regulatory counterparty that shapes the cooperative sector's operating environment.
• Cooperative Housing Europe (CECODHAS): European umbrella for cooperative housing federations including Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz's international peers. Not a direct competitor but a supranational peer ecosystem that frames the association's international positioning and best-practice exchange.
• Emissionszentrale für gemeinnützige Wohnbauträger (EGW): EGW is the federal bond-financing entity for non-profit housing providers, guaranteeing 1.92B CHF in loans through 2033. It is Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz's core financial-infrastructure partner rather than a competitor, but is structurally entangled with the association's member-financing business.

Direct peers

• Schweizerischer Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband (SMV): Switzerland's principal tenant association, formally partnered with Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz on the 'Mehr bezahlbare Wohnungen' initiative. They share the affordable-housing advocacy mandate but represent tenants rather than housing providers.
• WOHNEN SCHWEIZ: The other national umbrella organization for non-profit housing providers in Switzerland. Both organizations jointly advocate at the federal level and share overlapping membership, making it the closest functional peer to Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz.

Regional players

• Coop de France Habitat: French federation of cooperative housing operators. Operates the same cooperative-housing umbrella model across France and serves as a useful international functional peer for member services, financing intermediation, and policy advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6808195/admin/feed/posts
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Housing Cooperatives