The Commons: Just a Tragedy or a Just Opportunity? Housing Cooperatives as Alternative Spaces of Justice in Amsterdam

Abstract

This research explores the role of housing cooperatives in influencing the wider context of justice in Amsterdam’s housing market. Following a recent decline in social housing, concerns have been raised about the “death” of justice in Amsterdam, thus it is necessary to investigate potential solutions to this crisis. Justice on the cooperative level is understood as a combination of equity, diverse relatedness, radical democracy, urban rights, and re-enchantment; on the larger scale, justice entails a city that is affordable, is accessible, is integrated, offers choice, and avoids displacement. This study follows a mixed-methods approach, with content analysis of promotional materials being used to gain in-depth insights into everyday practices of justice on the cooperative level and semi-structured interviews with members of cooperatives, the Municipality of Amsterdam, real estate agents, academics, and social housing corporations being used to understand the wider context of justice in Amsterdam. The findings suggest that although cooperatives tend to be just on the small scale, they risk losing these just features if they are to scale up—a goal that would likely be unrealistic in the present context. A key finding is that cooperatives can work alongside social housing to create and share an inspiring story about de-commodified housing opportunities as a way out of the current crisis in access and affordability. Policy should aim to stimulate cooperatives, social housing, and middle-rent housing while placing greater regulations on the private market. Future research may contrast Amsterdam with a city in Sweden or Denmark where the “cooperative ideology” is well-established in order to better understand how this narrative can become more prevalent and what the effects of such a shift may be.