The non-profit housing association Schongau is now celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Today there are almost 200 members, 55 apartments in twelve houses.
You don't want to advertise, because there is a lifelong right of residence.
Young and old should benefit.
And it doesn't work without your own contribution.
Schongau
- The two chairmen of the Schongau non-profit housing association, Roland Geigl and Rosemarie Brecht, have leafed through the old documents from the early days. Both have been on the board of the housing cooperative since 2004, Geigl was elected to the board in 2016, and Brecht was elected as his deputy in the same election. “The documents are exciting,” says Brecht.
In 1921, 89 citizens from Lechstadt founded the "Schongau Building Cooperative".
In order to bring the non-profit building association into being, a meeting was called on May 11th “in the evening at 7 1/2 o'clock” in the inn “Zur alten Post”.
This was opened at that time by chief engine driver Johann Sirtl.
David Messthaler, an enforcement secretary by profession, was elected as the first chairman.
The first chairman of the supervisory board was a Josef Vogl.
Like the Holy Family looking for a hostel at Christmas
"The large number of children among them were fed up with begging for apartments and being turned away everywhere," the two current board members look back. Back then it was a bit like the Holy Family looking for a hostel at Christmas. “The aim was to create affordable living space for families.” The focus is still on families today, as is living together according to the motto young helps old and old helps young.
The Schongau housing association can look back on a successful time.
Shortly after the foundation - from 1926 - the first houses were built: in Wiesenweg, in Gebatstraße, in Hermann-Ranz-Straße and in Peitinger Straße.
These and the land still belong to the cooperative.
More houses were added after the war, albeit on leasehold.
Twelve houses with 55 apartments, 64 garages and parking spaces are now part of the portfolio of the smallest building cooperative in the Association of Bavaria, and they are proud of that too.
Combined into larger units
“Only in Saxony is there one that is even smaller,” adds Brecht.
And the Schongau cooperative is one of the few that is still managed on a voluntary basis, which is just feasible given its size. "We are all fully committed to our professions," says Geigl.
In the course of time, many smaller apartments have been merged into somewhat larger units, and families with children are welcome. "It is difficult to get cheap apartments on the Schongau housing market, especially refurbished apartments," says Geigl. "Who should still be able to afford new buildings as a family, there are no Munich prices in Schongau, but it is already heavy." Actually, the prices should be raised a bit, the VdW Bayern association is even reprimanded for the low prices of the housing association the two reveal. But you stick with it.
As an example, Geigl cites the square meter price of a well-developed cooperative apartment of 4.50 euros cold, the market price in Schongau, in contrast, is 6.90 to 7.50 euros.
"With us, the ancillary costs are higher than the rent," says Geigl.
One is also proud that almost all apartments have a comparatively cheap district heating connection, only one is heated with oil or gas.
Main focus on the maintenance and renovation of the existing building
Unfortunately, new houses have not been added in the past few years - “that would also not be feasible”, says Rosemarie Brecht.
The main focus is therefore on the maintenance and renovation of the apartments.
“And it's not 'all inclusive' for us either,” emphasize both board members.
The idea of the cooperative is important for the concept to work.
That means personal contribution, responsibility, willingness to perform.
"For example, it's noisy across the street because young people are completely redesigning the garden."
The youngest member is only a few months old
The cooperative, which is closed in principle, has 200 members, as new members are currently not being accepted.
In the case of cooperatives, the long-term lease agreements secure lifelong right of residence for the users instead of normal rental agreements.
And life in the Schongau cooperative apartments seems to keep you young.
The oldest resident died recently at the age of 97 and over 70 years of membership in the cooperative. The oldest resident is 91 years old and has lived in an apartment owned by the cooperative since the mid-1960s. And the families themselves are taking care of their children. The youngest member is only a few months old.
