CHE As Sete Bicas CRL, Matosinhos - ICA Housing

Case 13 from Portugal: CHE As Sete Bicas CRL, Matosinhos
(Porto)
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I. Issue to be highlighted in the case study
Multifunctional housing co-operative, integrated approach to meeting members’
needs, measures to encourage active member participation, good governance,
certified work system NP EN ISO 9001:2000, quality housing charter, cooperation
with co-operatives and other partner organisations, concern for community,
innovative approaches to sustainable, environment-friendly and energy
efficient housing.
II. Portrait of the co-operative society
Name of Co-operative: CHE As Sete Bicas CRL, Matosinhos (Porto),
Portugal
Type of Co-operative: Multifunctional housing co-operative society
Year of Formation: 1975
Address: Rua António Porto N° 42, Senhora da Hora, Matosinhos
(Porto), Portugal
Tel.: +351 229 578 350
E-mail: www.setebicas.com
Person to contact: Liliana Marques, Liliana@setebicas.com
Number of members: 2,504
Number of dwellings: 2,370 dwellings built, 351 dwellings under construction,
151 dwellings in project
Decision-making bodies: General Meeting of Members
Board of directors
Audit Committee
Extended self-administration: There are five specific management areas:
Promotion and management of self- housing programs and social equipments
and of Co-operative union housing programs, offering social equipments; sports,
culture and leisure activities, children support and elderly services.
Financial resources: The financial sustainability of these branches is assured
by different financial resources, namely: Co-operative members’ savings, bank
loans, central and local government subsidies and costs’ sharing, co-operative
statutory reserves and family funds.

Affiliation to federations
and other organisations:
• FENACHE – National Federation of Co-operative Housing in Portugal
• CIVAS Childhood, Elderly and Social Action Centre of Senhora da Hora
III. Description of the case
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Co-operative members’ rights – Running for information in order to achieve
active participation
CHE As Sete Bicas CRL has been developing several tools to assure a permanent
information activity. The purpose is to bring our members into our “cause”,
making it their own “cause” and stimulating them to participate in an active way
in several moments that demand for decision making.
Here you can find our main features that stimulate the co-operative members of
Sete Bicas to make full use of their rights:
• Customized reception desk, working from he needs, interests and abilities
of the members and following up the evolution of the process since the
moment they become a member;
• Written information about the development of our Buildings in Construction
and advice about new opportunities of Co-operative Housing Programs,
answering all question and supporting conscious decisions;
• Publication of the Quarterly Magazine, named “CHBI Notícias”, that we
deliver for free to all our members, to several organisations with whom
we interact and , in a general perspective, to everyone interested in the cooperative’s
activity, fulfilling in this way the Co-operative Principle of
Education, Training and Information;
• Quarterly updating of our Co-operative Website (www.setebicas.com), in
order to keep our online information up to date;
• Periodical and updated information of the progress and developments of
our buildings, with specific documents being published:
• Active participation of our co-operative members in the most important
moments of our Co-operative Housing Program, namely in the presentation
of the model dwelling and the Housing Delivery System;
• Collaboration through queries’ filling or other tools for measuring the satisfaction
level of our members, in order to permanently improve the performance
of our institution in the achievement of our members’ expectations
and in the guarantee of the co-operative’s future success.

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CHE As Sete Bicas CRL – Much more than Co-operative Housing
An integrated approach to the needs of our members – the satisfaction of our
commitments to the Society
“Sete Bicas” Co-operative Housing is characterised by the following:
Sustainable construction, environmental friendly and energy efficient
Sete Bica’s concern for the continuous improvement of the quality of our Cooperative
Housing has pushed us to experience new techniques and new building
methods. The participation in the “SHE Project – Sustainable Housing in
Europe” has supported these changes and the relationship with the academic
world has encouraged the transformations. This project has launched the work
and the recognition as the pioneering position of Housing Co-operatives towards
sustainability.
Moreover, it is this European experience that is on the basis of an intensive dissemination
activity of best practices in construction, whether by participation in
seminars and technical conferences or by participation in radio and TV programs,
collaborating in writing newspapers and magazine articles.
The year 2002 marked the break with the traditional construction methods and
we started a new way oriented by “environment defence” and “energy saving”.
With other co-operatives we have already accomplished two sustainable developments,
which we try to stimulate. At the moment, we have 351 sustainable
dwellings built and 151 are in project. We consider that this important change in
the housing promotion activity is also an action of solidarity towards the environment,
the society and our members.
Innovative Architecture – Improvement of our Inhabitants’ Life Quality
The project design of our housing programs pay particular attention to the functional
and simple use of indoor spaces, adapted to modern families’ practices
with the purpose of improving living conditions and quality of life of our cooperative
members.
Guaranteed Quality
The construction process is developed under the close look of an external technical
control. This work results in the edition of a ten year insurance policy that
protects our buildings against project and construction errors during a ten years
period. The construction insurance is, at the moment, and from a legal perspective,
valid for a five year period. Our co-operative assures, in a voluntary way,
the building’s insurance for another five year period, beyond the legal one.
The co-operative’s work system is certifies according to the Norm NP EN ISO
9001:2000.
We are the first housing co-operative certified in Portugal and our services are
held on a total commitment in the respect of the Quality Co-operative Housing

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Charter, adopted by FENACHE – National Federation of Co-operative Housing
in Portugal, assuming, on the whole, the commitments there declared.
Green and Neighbourhood spaces
It is since the first development promoted by Sete Bicas, concluded in 1982, that
our housing promotions are marked by the presence of green and neighbourhood
spaces, which create well-being and the sense of proximity among the inhabitants.
Humanising outside spaces
The concern for humanising spaces outside the co-operative dwellings is present
in all our buildings. Pathways, children’s parks, sculptural pieces, swimming
pools and sports fields – all these elements create a sense of membership and
happiness for living in those spaces. Co-operative housing is exactly that: the
quality of the indoor spaces and the building methods, but also the harmony of
the outside spaces, making of each building not only a place o sleep, but, especially,
and above all, a real place for human living.
Culture, Sports and Leisure
Sete Bicas still keeps the leisure activity of a housing co-operative. In fact, the
“Co-operative” concept goes far beyond the mere promotion of housing under
controlled costs. “Co-operative” also means a structure able to solve, in very different
ways, the multiple needs that co-operative members have during their
lives. That is why our co-operative has created a Cultural, Sports and Leisure
Centre that promotes such activities. In this field, we have two different structures.
The first one assures, in particular, theatre, ball room dancing and karate
activities, besides the participation of Sete Bicas in the annual National Cooperative
Games, competing in poetry, swimming and running. This Centre also
supports a contemporary dance group that performs special events, such as the
Co-operative’s Birthday Dinner or the opening of theatre shows. The listening
room of Sete Bicas is, therefore, a space for training, rehearsals, games and,
sometimes, it is also used as a real listening room.
The second Centre organises outdoor events, a kind of “Neighbours’ Days”.
“Rio Mau Club” is also responsible for the already traditional “Paella” and the
opening of the bathing season. As is easy to understand, friendship relationships
arise among people who are always present in these events and, besides, they
truly feel that they belong to a “Co-operative”. Sete Bicas has also a solution for
our co-operative members’ holidays. Two apartments in Algarve can be rented
for “Co-operative” prices during the whole year.
Childhood and Elderly Support
In 1985, Sete Bicas inaugurated our Early Childhood Centre (36 years old) and
four years later the Day Nursery (30 years old). People who work in these Centres
belong to the Sete Bicas “team” which means that our Co-operative Personnel
also include Kindergarten workers, Child Nurses, Cooks, Cleaning Staff etc.

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This clearly shows the co-operative’s concern for meeting members’ needs. If,
in the beginning, people become co-operative members to have access to a nice
home, later they do so to have access to our Childhood Centres, benefiting from
special conditions. At present the number of children in our Childhood facilities
is 84.
The moment of the inscription in the co-operative is the first signal of relationship
with the co-operative. From then, a whole process of mutual approach and
human ties arises. But if the support in the first years of life is so important, it is
also very important several years later when our members get old. The cooperative
is fully aware of the development of the age pyramid and tries to develop
solutions for our ageing society. At this moment, we are promoting the
construction of a building composed of dwellings and equipment for the elderly.
It will be completed in the first semester of 2008. This equipment will be managed
together with CIVAS Childhood, Elderly and Social Action Centre of Senhora
da Hora.
Concern for Community
This organisation carries on a work of “pure solidarity” in the community. The
experience of this organisation in support of the elderly will be optimised in the
management of the new equipment. This will have individual, couple and double
bedrooms, laundry, leisure area, sitting room, hairdresser – a complete range
of services aimed to serve future users. Childhood and Elderly Support are, in
fact, two important services assured by the co-operative and they contribute a lot
for families’ development and well-being.
We believe that this wide range of activities presents the necessary solutions for
co-operative members of Sete Bicas who meet, in the co-operative, the way to
achieve their purposes along heir life. At the same time, Sete Bicas is adopting
such a proactive profile that Society perceives our Co-operative as a serious
agent in the pursuit of the Communities’ well-being.
IV. Best Practice regarding the application of co-operative
principles
Members’ rights
Measures are taken to encourage active participation of members through providing
full information by print and electronic media, reception desk, advice,
quarterly magazine, quarterly up-dated web site, periodical publication of
documents, presentation of model dwellings and housing delivery services. Surveys
are conducted by a questionnaire to measure the degree of member satisfaction.

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An integrated approach is followed to meet members’ needs, to improve the inhabitants’
quality of life and to fulfil the commitment to society. This is
achieved by:
• Culture, sports and leisure centres and outdoor events,
• Innovative equipment and services for young persons and the elderly, like
day nursery, early childhood centres, kindergarten, theatre, ball-room, listening
rooms and social action centre. These facilities were built up in
several phases: 1985: Early childhood centre (for 3-6 years old children);
1989: Day nursing centre (for up to 3 years old children) with a Sete Bicas
“team” including kindergarten-workers, child nurses, cooks, cleaning staff
etc.; 2008: Construction of dwellings and introduction of equipment for
the elderly managed together with CIVAS offering a complete range of
services for the elderly.
• Offers for members’ holidays (two apartments in Algarve which can be
rented for co-operative prices).
Good co-operative corporate governance
The society works according to the quality co-operative housing charter of
FENACHE, quality management is certified.
Co-operation among co-operatives and with other partners
The co-operative society applies the quality co-operative housing charter of
FENACHE; it participates in the SHE Project “Sustainable Housing in Europe”
holding a pioneering position of co-operative housing regarding sustainability,
dissemination of best practice in construction through seminars, conferences,
radio and television programs, newspaper and magazine articles. It works together
with other co-operatives on sustainable development, building healthy
dwellings with appropriate level of environmental comfort, low consumption of
water, energy and gas at low cost.
Concern for community
The co-operative society adopts a proactive profile as a service agent in the pursuit
of the communities’ well being. Since 1982 the co-operative society shows
concern for green and neighbourhood spaces, e.g. humanisation of outside space
by pathways, children’s parks, sculpture pieces, swimming pool and sports
fields, enabling members to meet their multiple needs during their lives. From
2002 it applies new ways of protecting the environment and saving energy by
new construction methods.
CHE As Sete Bicas CRL practices solidarity towards environment, society and
members.