What Housing and Settlement Cooperative Zurich does

Housing and Settlement Cooperative Zurich (legal name: Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft Zürich, operating as wsgz) is a non-profit housing cooperative founded in 1944 and headquartered at Dörflistrasse 50, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland. It is registered in the Swiss commercial register (since 1946) and operates as a member-owned cooperative with no parent company or external shareholders. The cooperative manages approximately 1,113 rental apartments across 30 locations in 15 municipalities, with roughly one-third of units in the city of Zurich and the remainder distributed across the Canton of Zurich, plus two multi-family properties in Niederlenz (Canton of Aargau). Its portfolio is segmented into standard rental apartments (Mietwohnungen) offered under the cost-rent (Kostenmiete) model and a specialized senior-friendly housing concept called Wohnen*plus*, delivered in partnership with Zukunftswohnen and featuring barrier-free construction integrated with Spitex home care services for residents aged 55 and older.

The cooperative's revenue model is built on recurring monthly rental income from members, supplemented by one-time cooperative share contributions (minimum CHF 1,000, scaled to apartment size). Because it operates on a cost-rent basis, no profit margin is applied to rents, and any surplus is reinvested into maintenance, modernization, and new construction rather than distributed. Distribution and tenant acquisition are entirely direct: prospective tenants contact the cooperative by phone or email every 2–3 months for available units (no waiting list is maintained), with the website serving as the primary information channel and no third-party listing platforms, brokers, or active marketing involved. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is calibrated to each property's actual costs, with sensitivity to the Swiss reference interest rate (reduced to 1.25% in September 2025). Marketing is limited to website content; the cooperative relies on word-of-mouth and 80+ years of community reputation for tenant acquisition.

Governance is exercised by a Board (Verwaltung) led by President Ueli Kübler, with an executive office (Geschäftsstelle) led by Managing Director Tobias Dürst (appointed 2026) and supported by Deputy Claudia Strässle and a small property-management and accounting team. The cooperative is a member of the Zurich Housing Cooperative Association (wbg-zh) and the Swiss national housing association (wohnen-schweiz). wsgz holds no proprietary technology, patents, or AI/ML capabilities, and its competitive position rests on regulatory status, brand longevity, portfolio scale across diverse municipalities, and community-embedded service offerings rather than technology differentiation. Recent strategic activity is concentrated in an active construction pipeline (replacement builds at Kalchbühlstrasse/Wollishofen and Zürichstrasse/Uster in 2025, plus a new build at Grossweid/Seegräben in 2026).

Name

Housing and Settlement Cooperative Zurich

Legal name

Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft Zürich

Website

https://www.wsgz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Non-profit Swiss housing cooperative (wsgz), founded 1944, operating approximately 1,113 cost-rent apartments across 30 sites in 15 municipalities in the Zurich region, serving member-tenants and seniors via the Wohnen*plus* concept.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Housing

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Active Adult / Senior Community Association Management (BPAJAHAJ), HOA/Community Rules Management & Neighbor Relations (THAMAKAN)

Keywords

• Affordable housing cooperative
• Rental apartments management
• Non-profit housing services
• Senior housing programs
• Cooperative residential property

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Rental Income (Kostenmiete): The cooperative operates on a cost-rent basis (Kostenmiete), renting apartments at cost-based prices without profit orientation. Income is generated from monthly rental payments from approximately 1,113 apartments across 15 municipalities.
2. Membership Shares: Revenue from cooperative membership shares. Members pay a minimum of CHF 1,000 (amount depends on apartment size) to join. This is a one-time entry cost that provides membership rights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft Zürich (wsgz) is a non-profit housing cooperative that builds, owns, and rents approximately 1,113 residential apartments across 30 locations in 15 municipalities in the Canton of Zurich and one property in Niederlenz (Aargau). Apartments are offered at cost-rent (Kostenmiete) under a membership model where tenants purchase cooperative shares (minimum CHF 1,000). The cooperative also operates Wohnen*plus*, a specialized senior-friendly housing concept with integrated care services delivered in partnership with Zukunftswohnen.

Product overview

Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft Zürich (wsgz) is a non-profit housing cooperative that operates as a single integrated housing service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The cooperative's primary offerings include standard rental apartments (Mietwohnungen) available at cost-rent (Kostenmiete) across 15 municipalities in the Canton of Zurich, apartment listings (Wohnungsinserate) for available units, and the specialized senior-friendly housing program called Wohnen*plus*. The organization manages over 1,100 apartments at 30 locations, with approximately one-third in the city of Zurich and the remainder distributed throughout the canton. Wohnen*plus* properties are specifically designed for residents aged 55 and older, featuring barrier-free construction, elevator access, and integrated home care services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wohnen*plus*: Age-appropriate housing concept offering apartments specially designed for the needs of elderly people, combined with community-supporting elements and neighborhood assistance.

Products and services

• Mietwohnungen (Rental Apartments) Standard rental apartments managed by the cooperative and offered at cost-rent (Kostenmiete) to cooperative members across 15 municipalities in the Canton of Zurich and one property in Niederlenz AG.
• Wohnungsinserate (Apartment Listings)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 years of operation (since 1944)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ZukunftswohnencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZukunftswohnen is a partner cooperative that works with wsgz on the Wohnen*plus* senior housing concept. They jointly offer community-promoting elements including neighborhood assistance, management and caretaker tasks, and caregiving functions for senior residents.
• wbg-zh (Wohnbaugenossenschaften Zürich)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerwsgz is a member of the Zurich Housing Cooperative Association (wbg-zh), which provides networking, advocacy, and best practice sharing among housing cooperatives in the Zurich region.
• wohnen-schweizcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerwsgz is a member of the Swiss Housing Association (wohnen-schweiz), the national organization representing housing cooperatives across Switzerland.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allgemeine Baugenossenschaft Zürich (ABZ): One of the largest housing cooperatives in Zurich, operating thousands of apartments under the same non-profit Kostenmiete model. Direct comparable on business model, target market (Zurich affordable renters), and cooperative governance structure.
• Genossenschaft Mehr als wohnen: Zurich-based housing cooperative with innovative, community-focused developments. Highly comparable on cooperative structure, geographic market, and member-led governance model.
• Famwo Genossenschaft: Zurich-area housing cooperative focused on family-oriented rental housing under non-profit principles. Direct comparable on cooperative model, Zurich canton geography, and member-tenant structure.
• Wohngenossenschaft Pro Familia: Swiss housing cooperative providing affordable family housing through a non-profit cooperative structure. Comparable business model and member-tenant governance.
• Genossenschaft Kalkbreite: Zurich housing cooperative known for innovative, community-promoting residential development. Comparable on cooperative structure, Zurich location, and community-oriented value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Stadt Zürich – Liegenschaftenamt: City-owned housing operator managing a much larger public portfolio in Zurich. Broader incumbent with overlapping affordable-housing mandate and significantly greater scale than wsgz.

Emerging players

• Tertianum Gruppe: Swiss operator of senior residences and care services. Relevant peer for wsgz's Wohnen*plus* senior housing concept; offers an interesting private-market comparison for senior living services attached to housing.
• Senevita AG: Swiss operator of senior residences and integrated care. Comparable to wsgz's Wohnen*plus* offering in providing senior-focused housing with attached care services, though operating on a for-profit basis.

Others

• wohnen-schweiz (Verband Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz): National umbrella association of Swiss housing cooperatives, of which wsgz is a member. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem participant that shapes policy and best practices affecting wsgz's operating environment.
• wbg-zh (Wohnbaugenossenschaften Zürich): Zurich regional association of housing cooperatives. Ecosystem participant providing networking, advocacy, and shared services to wsgz and other member cooperatives in the region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 and Settlement Cooperative Zurich