Living differently in the city A conversation with Nikki on Woonwolk, housing cooperatives, community, and rethinking ownership

Woonwolk is a housing cooperative founded in 2022. It encompasses more than just an architectural project - it envisions how we might live differently. At the heart of the Woonwolk’s project is a desire to reimagine the meaning of home and ownership. Their project of building a house in the North of Amsterdam is currently in the planning, consisting of 51 apartments, common spaces, a garden, a rooftop, and spaces for culture, arts, and creativity. The project is centered around Woonwolk’s three core pillars: sustainability, social cohesion, and arts and culture. I can perceive this is done in the spirit of creating a momentum of living; in a fast-paced world, the community seeks to slow down and enjoy every aspect a home can embody. I sat down with Nikki, who joined the cooperative in 2024, to talk about the community’s values, their project, and the evolving ideas of rethinking ownership in the Amsterdam housing crisis.

How did Woonwolk come to life, and what was the initial reason for starting this project?
It was a group of friends that organised themselves to start this project of building a house with features you cannot find in the housing market. I think that the trigger was the housing market in Amsterdam and other cities in the Netherlands, which excludes a lot of people by being unaffordable for many, resulting in a decline of creativity and culture in the city. One of the big causes of that is, I think, that housing here is not meant for actual housing but for profit. They wanted to create a housing cooperative that is non-profit oriented and community-centered, so it remains affordable - and people can have their say in how it is going to be realized. The idea is to take action in times of housing crisis and create a space where culture, creativity, and community living can flourish. There are already some housing cooperatives: De Warren is the first one to have finished their building, but it is still a relatively new movement, it is not very common yet in the Netherlands.

What stage in the process are you currently in?
We finished the design two weeks ago when Sophia Valla, the architect, presented us with the final design. This was of course a long process of brainstorming and discussing different visions. The design now also really relates to the three core pillars. We will build with wood, a circular and sustainable option for the material, we will install solar panels to generate our own energy, use second-hand furniture for the interior design, and create a garden and rooftop terrace, where we place high value on biodiversity. To further realise our sustainability goals, we will include a waste separation system for our community, and the building will reuse and collect rainwater. We are planning to designate part of the bottom floor as a space for the community, a place to come together with one another and with the surrounding neighbours. As part of this communal space we also aim to create a makerspace, where members can work on their crafting projects and live out creative desires. It has been a very fulfilling process. We, the members, decided to shape the apartments in a way that allows for multifunctionality, creates a living flow, and lets in as much sunlight as possible and Sophia Valla has been amazing in including all our wishes and ideas into a unified design. 

Currently, we are still collecting the necessary finances. To cover the biggest part of our costs, we are in contact with the Rabobank who might give us a loan of about 70%. In addition, the city of Amsterdam wil support us with a loan and we applied for subsidies. But 5% of the finances is Crowdlending, people who want to support our project lend us money, where they can buy a bond of 250 euros and get it paid back after 5, 10, or 15 years of their choosing. With this Crowdlending campaign we have raised almost 150,000 euros by selling bonds and through impact investment. However, we still need more than 500,000 before we can start the construction of the building.

Can you tell us more in detail how Woonwolk is organized, and what your decision-making process looks like?
We make decisions democratically. Each member has a vote, and we aim for consensual ways of deciding where we end up with a collective idea, thus we often do not even need to vote. We are legally obliged to have a board, but they have no decision-making power over anyone else. We are organized into smaller working groups, where each group is responsible for a specific topic. Every month, we have a big meeting where decisions are made and where we update each other. We discuss, for example, how the shape of the apartments should look: everyone comes with their ideas and visions, and we end up with a kind of collective idea. Every member can bring new ideas to the table that are important to them. If you, for example, want to focus more on sustainability, you can start a little group and brainstorm what you envision and then pitch it to the rest to discuss it.

How does Woonwolk project offer a new way of reimagining how we live together? 
We can see that more people are living single lives in our society, renting an apartment by themselves, potentially leading to feelings of loneliness and disconnectedness. Even nuclear families or cohabiting partners are living in a very closed-off environment. This is, in my opinion, illogical - because why should we not share more? I think many people feel the need to share more, especially socially. When you look a hundred years back in the Netherlands, people were living much more in communities, where families shared responsibilities and cared for each other on a day-to-day basis. It is something people long for. Spontaneous catch-ups with friends are difficult, and the longing for connection often remains unmet. At the Woonwolk we envision it differently: when you come home from work, for example, you will naturally encounter your neighbours, perhaps stopping for a cup of coffee and a chat. You don’t need to actively seek connections, they are just there. That must feel so much better than coming home to an empty space.

Can housing coops like Woonwolk change the housing environment in Amsterdam? If so, how would they achieve this?
The biggest difference between our project and the housing market is that it is non-profit. Buying houses in the market is very exclusive; people who cannot afford it cannot be part of it. And the rental market is so profit-oriented that every year the rent increases to absurd degrees. With this project, rents do not need to increase. After let’s say, 30 years, when all the loans are paid back, we can use the income to support other initiatives. And I think this is how we can make a bigger movement of housing cooperatives in Amsterdam, supporting each other financially to make it easier for new projects. It shows this idea of taking back ownership, creating spaces where people can live affordably and enjoy their living situation.

There is a platform called “Platform Wooncooperaties Amsterdam”, where different collectives exchange knowledge and support each other.

What do you think is needed to make it easier for projects like this to flourish? What difficulties have you been encountering within this process?
Financing the whole project is the most difficult part. We all have our jobs and are doing this project in our free time. It is nice that Rabobank offers these loans. But exactly this step could become easier as soon as already existing projects have paid off their loans and can use the rental income to financially support other similar initiatives. After some time it could develop into a sustainable circle of financing each other. 

Are you in conversation with other housing cooperatives? 
Yes! There is a platform called “Platform Wooncooperaties Amsterdam”, where different collectives exchange knowledge and support each other. In the future, we could even create a large collective fund. It is really nice to learn from each other and collaborate together to create a bigger movement of rethinking ownership.