Member-only story
A Most Amazing 500 Year Social Experiment
The world’s oldest social housing, rent hasn’t changed since 1521
Five hundred years ago in the little town of Augsburg in Germany, back in 1521, Jakob Fuggera a wealthy banker, created and funded a social housing complex he named the Fuggerei as a home for the city’s most destitute and poorest workers of the Catholic faith. He had long dreamt of a housing community where residents could have a low-cost home and live debt-free while still being a part of the community.
Fuggera charged residents one Rheinischer gulden a year, the equivalent of one month’s salary at the time. Today, the figure is less than one Euro, the equivalent of one US dollar per year.
Applicants need to meet three basic criteria to be eligible to live in the village. They must be of the Catholic faith, show they are in financial need and they must have lived in Augsburg for at least two years.
The first point of contact for most applicants is social worker Doris Herzog. To make sure applicants are Catholic, she first checks church registers. Then, she personally interviews each applicant on their living and financial situation. All residents of the Fuggerei still abide by the guidelines first established back in the 1500s where they must contribute to the community by volunteering as…
