Following the model of the Mietshäuser Syndikat, we use a dual structure of a Verein (Association) and a GmbH (Limited Company).

1. The House Verein (our daily life): This is where we live and breathe. Every core member of our project is a member of our local Association. The Association’s General Assembly is the heart of our governance; through the Plenum and working groups, it makes all the real-life decisions—like who moves in and how we manage our land—in a horizontal (more and more sociocratic) way, with democratic decision-making as a “fallback.”
   
2. The GmbH (the legal vessel): This is the legal entity that technically “owns” the land and the buildings. With our Association as the majority shareholder, the property is practically governed by the residents. However, we have left space for a secondary shareholder (such as the Mietshäuser Syndikat or the Les Pas-Sages CoopMutActrice) to join the structure in the future. Their role will not be to manage our daily affairs, but to hold a single, crucial power: a veto against any future sale of the property (except if the project gets bankrupt).*

By creating the “legal lock”, we are aiming to split the power between those who live here, and a wider network of similar projects, to ensure that the energy we invest into our relationship with the land and each other doesn’t just benefit us today, but remains a common good —a sanctuary of affordable and sustainable living— for the many generations of humans and other living beings yet to come.

Currently, we are exploring the possibility of adapting legal and financial strategies from the Les Pas-Sages model. This 12 year old movement has supported the creation of over 40 cooperative housing and ecovillage projects across France and is currently expanding to Portugal, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, New Zealand, and Brazil.

The Les Pas-Sages model promotes collective ownership and anti-speculation through democratic, participatory governance. It is specifically designed to nurture vital Human Ecosystems—focusing on group processes, conflict transformation, and trust-building—while ensuring the Right to Mobility. This “Easy Exit” principle allows members to leave the project without financial or social penalty, supporting freedom of movement and life transitions. Ultimately, it lowers the economic barriers to cooperative living, nurturing true social inclusion.

We aspire to act as a living laboratory: a pioneer project that builds upon the foundational wisdom and structural stability of the Mietshäuser Syndikat, while embodying the social innovation and uplifting vibrations of Les Pas-Sages.

*Both the MHS and LPS CMA are horizontally governed by all their member housing projects; selling the property would be possible with their collective approval.