Cooperative Consulting
The managing partner of DSC Legal, lawyer and notary Dr Peter Diedrich, acting chairman of the German association "Job & Housing" e.V. (Deutscher Verband "Job & Wohnen" e.V.) and former chairman of the legal committee of Germany's largest association for small and medium-sized enterprises (Der Mittelstand – BVMW e.V.), launched an SME initiative in 2018 under the German brand name "Job & Wohnen" ("Job & Housing").
The pilot project “Havelschanze” in Berlin-Spandau, comprising 112 flats, a childcare centre and a mixed-use community building, is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. The project owner is Erste Mitarbeiterwohnungsbaugenossenschaft “Job & Wohnen” Berlin eG. The building plot covers 6,400 m² and is secured in the land register by a 90-year hereditary building right (Erbbaurecht) granted by the State of Berlin. The energy standard corresponds to Efficiency House Level 40 Renewable Energies (EE) (incl. heat pumps, PV systems, green roofs and urban gardening). The project includes a modern mobility concept with e-bikes and charging infrastructure, as well as heat supply contracting. In addition, there are numerous communal areas: a laundry room, co-working area, communal café and a neighbourhood workshop.
The pilot project is financed by construction cost subsidies from member companies (EUR 675.00/m² of living space), promotional loans from IBB, capital market loans and subsidies from KfW.
Rents are capped at an initial EUR 7.00/m² (subsidy model 1) or EUR 11.50/m² (subsidy model 3) for the 99 occupancy-restricted social housing units and around EUR 16.50 for the remaining privately financed flats.
On 5 November 2025, the foundation stone was laid in the presence of the Mayor of Spandau, Mr Frank Bewig, and the District Building Councillor, Mr Thorsten Schatz.
The location of the site, the layout of the buildings and the construction progress made by the end of November 2025 can be clearly seen in a video of the construction site.
Follow-up projects are already being planned at other locations in Germany, with the aim of enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to offer urgently sought-after employees not only a job but also affordable housing.
The "Job & Housing" concept was one of the three best future projects out of a total of over 70 concepts submitted in the fields of urban development, mobility, environment & climate, and culture & community at the first Neustart Berlin Conference – a joint initiative of Tagesspiegel, Berliner Morgenpost and EUREF Campus, supported by Radioeins and Schneider Electric, which took place on 21 November 2025 at the EUREF Campus in the Gasometer.
Subsequently, the Tagesspiegel and Berliner Morgenpost newspapers reported in detail on the "Job & Housing" concept and the Havelschanze pilot project.
Further information on the SME initiative "Job & Housing" can be found on the following websites:
https://www.jobundwohnenservice.de
https://www.bvmw.de/themen/recht/job-plus-wohnung/
DSC Legal has provided comprehensive legal advice to Erste Mitarbeiterwohnungsbaugenossenschaft “Job & Wohnen" Berlin eG (First Employee Housing Cooperative “Job & Housing” Berlin eG) since its foundation. This particularly concerned the establishment of the cooperative and its representation in negotiations of the leasehold agreement and several addenda thereto with the State of Berlin, the loan and security agreements with the financing banks and public funding institutions (IBB, KfW), the general contractor agreement and addenda thereto, and a heat supply and roof-use agreement (heat contracting). The legal advice provided to the cooperative also covered all relevant cooperative law issues, including support in the preparation and conducting of a large number of general meetings.
DSC Legal also advises various initiators of additionally planned “Job & Housing” projects, for example in Munich, several municipalities on the Baltic Sea (e.g. Timmendorfer Strand, Scharbeutz, etc.) as well as in Berlin, Teltow, Cottbus and other locations in the Lusatia region.