Affordable housing: Denmark's cooperative (andelsboliger) approach
- S3E2
- 35:51
- October 25th 2022
Around the world house prices are rising far higher than incomes meaning "ordinary people" are unable to afford to own a place to live.
In Denmark, andelsboliger ("co-operative housing") offers a solution.
With roots in the 1800s, it is an approach whereby people come together to collectively own a common asset (in this case a property, such as an apartment block) and then collectively reap the benefits.
In the episode, Sam and Josefine speak with Stefanie Høy Brink, curator and ethnographer at Copenhagen City Museum and Mikkel Høegh, housing economist at the danish bank, Jyske Bank.
The four discuss:
- The historical precedent of the cooperative movement, and how it was applied to housing
- How cooperative housing offers the ability to share resources with neighbours
- The technicalities of how the system works, and why prices can remain low
And ultimately how sustainable the system is, with its tension between self-interest for the owners of andelsboliger and the desire to maintain a system that is fair for future generations.
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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.
Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd
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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark
What The Denmark | Danish Culture for Expats, Internationals and Danes
Danish culture can be pretty confusing, especially if you are not from Denmark.
This podcast is on a mission to resolve cultural confusion in the country.
Co-hosts Sam Floy (British podcaster, "The Outsider") and Josefine Volqvartz (Danish TV journalist, "The Insider") speak to experts and members of the public to understand and explain why something so normal in Danish culture is confusing to outsiders.
Rather than simply point fun, or say something like "Danes have an ironic sense of humour" we go deep, by speaking to experts to explain why.
Importantly, this show is as much for Danes as it is non-Danes.
What The Denmark is an educational, entertaining and inclusive show where we take a curious look at things that seem normal in Denmark, and get to the bottom of why.
If you've ever felt that you want to understand more about Denmark and Danish culture, then this is the podcast for you!
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