The expert spoke about the advantages of housing and construction cooperatives

Housing and construction cooperatives (HCS) give future owners the opportunity to directly participate in the construction of a house and control key decisions. Andrey Glushkin, a member of the Board of Directors of Merakom Development, founder of Merakom Far East, and a member of the Council of MRO Delovaya Rossiya, told Izvestia on February 19.

According to him, unlike the classic equity scheme, where the buyer has virtually no influence on the choice of materials, contractors and design solutions, in HBC, shareholders approve estimates and contractors at a general meeting. They can also vote to change the general contractor in case of deadlines or overstatement of the cost of work.

"The mechanism of collective management is gradually being integrated into government programs. In a number of regions, housing for military personnel and participants in a special military operation (SVO) is being built through housing and communal services: the state provides land and infrastructure, and future residents join a cooperative and control the construction process," Glushkin said.

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According to him, the economic effect is also significant. Providing land without bidding allows you to reduce the cost per square meter by 30-40%. This allows the members of the cooperative to get housing at a more affordable price while maintaining control over the project.

The expert emphasized that the risks of the cooperative model have become more manageable in recent years. Since January 2026, members of housing and communal services established on the basis of problematic long-term buildings have been equated to equity holders and have the right to expect monetary compensation in case of unfinished construction. In addition, cooperatives are required to disclose information about the movement of funds in the GIS housing and communal services system, which increases financial transparency.

At the same time, participation in a cooperative requires an active position of shareholders. They need to approve estimates, accept completed works, determine the elements of landscaping, and after completing the house, choose a management company or create their own management structure.

Experts from the RedCat aggregator of new buildings said on February 15 that by the end of January, the market of new buildings in Moscow and the Moscow region showed a 49% drop in demand compared to December last year, amounting to only 7.74 thousand units. The most noticeable drop in demand occurred within the old border of the capital, where the number of registered transactions decreased by 52% compared to the previous month and by 13% compared to January 2025.

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