SSG Sets Criteria for Establishing Housing Cooperatives in Idlib

The General Directorate of Housing and Reconstruction (GDHR), under the Ministry of Local Administration and Services of the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), issued Decision No. 328 on August 21, approving the official procedures for establishing new housing cooperatives operating in Idlib, north-western Syria.

This mirrors the efforts of the Cooperative Housing Directorate under the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in the Damascus Government, which oversees the cooperative housing sector. Housing cooperatives provide affordable housing.

Previously, the SSG, affiliated with hardline Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, had, through the Ministry of Local Administration and Services’ Decision No. 52 of 2018, dissolved the boards of directors of existing housing cooperatives. These boards were later reformed through elections supervised by the GDHR, based on Decision No. 599 of 2023 from the ministry. As a result of these decisions, several housing cooperatives were dissolved, while some had their boards elected and resumed operations.

Idlib counts 162 housing cooperatives, some of which are inactive or still in the process of being established, AbdulMoneim Al-Hout, head of the GDHR, told The Syria Report. There is no precise count of the beneficiaries of these cooperatives, but it is estimated that each cooperative typically consists of around 100 people. In 2024, one new cooperative was established, and two more are in the process of being formed.

Decision No. 328 of 2024 was based on SSG Prime Ministerial Decision No. 83, issued in April 2024, which outlines the regulations for housing cooperatives. According to Mr Al-Hout, the regulations in Decision No. 83 streamlined the procedures to a minimum while ensuring that the rights of cooperative members are safeguarded. He added that if a cooperative is unable to hold a general assembly meeting to elect a new board of directors due to the displacement of its members, the GDHR allows the attendance of their representatives. If this is not possible, the Directorate permits members of a single project within the cooperative to attend, form a committee, and oversee their project’s operations. If this too is unfeasible, the attendance of members from a single plot designated for construction is accepted, allowing them to form a committee and complete their plot.

The housing cooperatives’ regulations, outlined in Decision No. 83 of 2024, consist of eight chapters and 121 articles. These cover the objectives of cooperatives according to the SSG’s vision, the procedures for their establishment, membership conditions, management, member priorities based on seniority, subscription, allocation, handover, liquidation, the financial system of the cooperative, oversight, dissolution, and merging.

Decision No. 328 of 2024 also stipulates that the formation of a new housing cooperative must begin with the appointment of a temporary committee made up of three members representing the cooperative’s founders, who must number at least 20 individuals. This committee is responsible for appearing before the GDHR. The temporary committee is tasked with completing the official incorporation form and submitting an application to establish the cooperative.

According to Decision 328 of 2024, the temporary committee is responsible for submitting the founders’ documentation, ensuring they meet certain criteria. For instance, a founder must be a Syrian citizen, at least 18 years old, residing either in Idlib or elsewhere as permitted by the GDHR, not a beneficiary of housing provided by any public entity or cooperative with similar objectives, and must not own independent property along with their minor children.

Once the GDHR approves the establishment of the cooperative, the temporary committee calls for the first meeting of the cooperative’s founding assembly, during which a board of directors is elected. The temporary committee then hands over all documents, funds, and responsibilities to the newly elected board, after which the temporary committee is dissolved.

The cooperative is officially registered by publishing its establishment decision in the Official Gazette issued by the SSG, including the cooperative’s name, its registration code in the GDHR records, its address, headquarters, and the names of its board members. From the date of publication, the establishment decision comes into effect, granting the cooperative legal status.