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Housing Europe Yearbook 2015
2015 has been a year full of changes and challenges. It’s clear that there are high demands on the housing sector within this new reality. However, Housing Europe is effectively making a common, strong voice heard at European level. Check out the year's highlights in our Yearbook!
Housing Europe Secretary General, Sorcha Edwards introduces this report of activities:
"Our 2015 yearbook reports on Housing Europe performance in terms of influence, insider status and getting the message out there.
This year, Housing Europe’s direct lobbying on policies has resulted in amendments being introduced to European Parliament reports on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, Services of General Economic Interest, EU Urban Agenda, Economic Governance - European semester, Cohesion policy and Marginalized communities, Investment for jobs and growth, European Fund for Strategic Investment, and the Annual Report on EU Competition Policy.
Through stakeholder groups, studies and workshops, our Input on policy has been requested by the European Commission DGs for Regional Policy, Energy & the Digital Economy & Society, The European Foundation for living and Working Conditions and the European Parliament’s Justice and Home Affairs Committee…”
Meanwhile the outputs of Housing Europe’s research work have been used by the IMF in their Multi-Country Report ‘Housing Recoveries: Cluster Report on Denmark, Ireland, Kingdom of the Netherlands—the Netherlands, and Spain”, The UNECE report “Social Housing in the UNECE region”, Habitat for Humanity for its “Housing Review”, The Council of Europe Development Bank for its report “Financing Social and Affordable Housing in Europe: the CEB's Approach” and FEANTSA in “An Overview of Housing Exclusion in Europe 2015”.
Via our website, newsletter and social media accounts, the team is also working to keep you informed on news and views from members, our activities at EU level, funding opportunities – crucial at a time when the list of countries using European Investment Bank and Council of Europe Development Bank Funding for housing is growing. If you are not making use of our site that means yours are not counted among the over 38.000 unique visits and 122.500 page views recorded throughout the year.
Enjoy the read and stay informed!"
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Housing Europe joins the Housing Partnership of the EU Urban Agenda
The European Urban Agenda is a joint effort of European Commission, Member States and European Cities Networks to strengthen the recognition of the urban dimension by European and national policy actors. On February 8th the Dutch Presidency announced the participants of the 4 strategic, thematic partnerships.
Housing Europe is among the members of the Partnership on Housing along with:
Urban Areas
- Riga (LV)
- Scottish Cities Alliance (UK)
- Vienna (AΤ)
Member States
- Germany
- Latvia
- Luxembourg
- the Netherlands
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
Other participants
- European Commission
- AEDES
- Eurocities
- European Investment Bank
- Housing Europe
- International Union of Tenants (IUT)
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Meeting the Board of the European Investment Bank (*)
Housing on the top of the agenda
At a meeting between the Board of the EIB and a group of NGOs from different sectors, Gene Clayton, Chair of Housing Europe Economic and Finance Committee and Julien Dijol, Housing Europe Deputy Secretary General, have met various top level staff and members of the EIB Board to discuss how the Bank could continue and increase its lending activities to social housing.
Be it through traditional bi lateral loans or through the recently set up European Fund for Strategic Investments, there is a willingness from the top management of the bank to support affordable housing; the energy aspect but also increasingly the social aspect in particular linked with the integration of migrants.
Read the full article on our website to learn more about the funding opportunities Housing Europe members may have.
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Housing Europe among the key EU organisation on deep renovation
BUILD UPON, the world's largest collaborative project on building renovation has mapped the key organisation at EU level when it comes to deep renovation. Housing Europe has been identified among the most influential stakeholders, scoring the maximum of points for influence.
The project, developed within the framework of Horizon 2020, brings together over 1,000 organisations, across 13 countries, at 80 events in 2016-17. It aims to create a renovation revolution across Europe by helping countries to deliver strategies for renovating their existing buildings, by the 30 April 2017 EU deadline. These strategies are critical to cutting Europe’s energy use, reducing the impacts of climate change, and creating buildings that deliver a high quality of life for everyone.
Check out the profile of Housing Europe
Find out more about BUILD UPON
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Refugee housing and flood prevention among EUR 8 billion of new projects approved by EIB
The European Investment Bank approved EUR 8.2 billion of new loans to improve social infrastructure, strengthen competitiveness of EU companies and better protect vulnerable regions from a changing climate. The thirty-seven new projects to be supported by Europe’s long-term lending institution include EUR 3 billion to improve access to finance by small businesses across Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, central Asia and Africa.
Reflecting the crucial need to expand social housing, the EIB Board of Directors agreed to support construction of 13,000 new homes in France, 3,600 in the UK and 5,000 in Germany. Further backing for housing projects agreed by the EIB included EUR 50 million for accommodation for asylum seekers in France and schemes to accommodate 46,000 refugees in Germany.
Read more
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UK: Health begins at Home
Housing Association “Family Mosaic” has calculated it could save the National Health Service more than £3m a year through health interventions for older people. Family Mosaic’s final report on its three-year Health Begins at Home study found that its health and wellbeing interventions resulted in tenants reducing the amount they used the NHS, especially planned hospital appointments.
This is particularly the case for the most vulnerable residents, many of whom were socially isolated before this research began. There could be over 100,000 people aged over 50 who are living in social housing with unmet health needs, who need intensive support, immediately.
The report analyses the data from the 433 people aged over 50 who completed the project. It has also been published as a further learning resource for other housing providers who are looking to, or are already delivering services around health. It provides an overview of what worked and what didn’t and shares the many lessons to be learnt.
Find out more on the Family Mosaic Page and on this NHF presentation
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Belgium: Social Housing in Brussels, SLRB publishes aggregated statistics for 2014
Each year Housing Europe Member, SLRB is required to collect from SISP statistical information about social renters and social heritage. Aggregation of these statistical data aims to get familiar with the developments of the Brussels social housing stock and to help with the decision making on these matters.
According to the 2014 set of statistics in a total of 36,377 rented and occupied dwellings, households pay a monthly average rent of € 313.31 their expenses amount up to € 117.06.
By adding up the number of renovated houses (2186) and free dwellings (include 968 housing due to relocation or refurbishment), the total residential portfolio in the social housing sector in 2014 includes 39,531 units.
The stats can be downloaded from the website of the SLRB
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Sweden: What is public housing? SABO explains...
Our Swedish member organisation, SABO, the Swedish Association of Public Housing Companies, has recently presented a new video on its YouTube that explains in just 2 minutes what is public housing in the country and what the system works.
With a focus on the multiple benefits of social responsibility, the businesslike work approach and the advantages of tenant empowerment SABO offers a good example of how a housing federation can briefly introduce itself and the national context in which it operates.
Watch the video
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Housing Europe welcomes its new Research Coordinator!
Agata Krause is the new Research Coordinator of Housing Europe, replacing Alice Pittini who’s taking a one-year career development break at the OECD. We have asked Agata to introduce herself a few days before you’ll have the chance to meet her in person during the upcoming Working Committee Meetings.
“My background is in the field of urban planning. I earned my Master’s degree at the University of Lodz, in Poland, in 2007 and my PhD at Cardiff University, in Wales, in 2014. I also attended a postgraduate course in European spatial planning at KU Leuven, here in Belgium.
I am interested in urban change and knowledge transfer; environmental policy and politics; housing provision and migration. I have previously worked as a researcher and a tutor at Cardiff University and the University of Dundee in Scotland.”
Witamy, Agata! Welcome!
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Eurofound Study: Families in the economic crisis
How has the situation and experience of families changed during the economic crisis? The report examines how family-focused policies have developed since 2010. In some countries, benefits have been reduced, affecting disadvantaged families disproportionately. Other countries have introduced new measures to help those families worst affected by the economic crisis.
The study also looks at the social situation of different types of families with dependent children and examines what kind of responses can help mitigate the effect of the crisis on disadvantaged families. It focuses on in-depth analyses of developments in 10 EU Member States.
Read the full report or the executive summary
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Housing Europe in the advisory board of the TRIME Project
What if saving energy at home could be really simple, help you save money and live a healthier lifestyle? TRIME is a pan-european project that is aiming to help social housing residents benefit from this win-win combination.
Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public, Cooperative and Social Housing, is on the advisory board of a large consortium that has set up ambitious targets for 2017.
Read more on our website
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Call for cooperation with NIHE on integration call
Our Member from Northern Ireland, NIHE would be interested in cooperation on preparing a proposal under AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund). The AMIF promotes the efficient management of migration flows and the implementation, strengthening and development of a common Union approach to asylum and immigration.
The most relevant call which can serve as a basis for collaboration is the one in the area of integration.
If you are interested in working together with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), feel free to contact Linda Hutchinson.
Deadline: 29/02/2016, 12:00 (CET)
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New housing related funding opportunities (*)
Our members only portal on EU Funding opportunities has numerous updates, since a few calls have been launched under the various funds.
Visit the portal to check out whether a project you're working on may be eligible for Horizon 2020, EFSI, AMIF or any other financing source.
Direct link to the portal
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AAL Info and Consortium Building Day 2016
The Active and Assisted Living (AAL) Association will organize an INFO DAY on Tuesday, 8 March 2016 to inform the European community about the next call topic of the AAL Programme: “Living well with dementia – The contribution of ICT to integrated solutions for enabling the wellbeing of people living with dementia and their communities”.
The aim of this call is to support innovative, transnational and multi-disciplinary collaborative projects with a clear route to market and added-value for the different types of end-users. If you are interested in pitching your project proposal at the Info day, be aware that the deadline for submitting a presentation is 1 March 2016.
Please note that a Consortium Building Seminar will take place on the day after the Info Day to support potential proposers in setting up successful consortia so as to maximize the chances of commercial success of their project.
Find out more
* The Workshops will be streamed live- via the same link- and the presentations will be available a few days after the event.
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Working Committee Meetings are back! (*)
22-24 February 2016 in Brussels
The first working committee meetings of 2016 are approaching. Please check out the dates and times and register as soon as possible for the ones you are going to attend.
Monday, 22 February
Social Affairs (14:00 – 15:30)
Economic and Finance (16:00 – 17:30 )
A reception for the launch of the "Housing for All" campaign will take place in the Housing Europe Office just after the end of the meetings. The Guardian Housing Editor, Dawn Foster will be a guest speaker.
Please register for the dinner that will follow, since reservation will made upon the number of participants.
Tuesday, 23 February
Housing Observatory (09:30 – 11:00)
Energy and Construction (11:30 -13:00)
Urban Affairs (14:00 – 15:30)
Check out the agenda of all meetings and register online
The preparatory documents are available here
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Apply for the EU Sustainable Energy Awards 2016!
Housing Europe members are among the leading organisations that pave the way for a fair, green energy transition. Do you have a recent project (ongoing or ended after June 2015) that promotes energy efficiency and/or renewable energy? Apply now for an EU Sustainable Energy Award!
Awards are available for one or more of these categories: consumers, public sector, businesses and the Citizens’ Award. You can submit an application in the first three categories. The Citizens’ Award, however, will be granted via an online vote allowing the general public to reward their favourite project among the nominees of the three other categories.
- Initiatives will be judged for their:
- excellence in their area and innovation
- measurable impact and contribution to the EU’s sustainable energy objectives
- replication potential and social acceptance
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Semester Alliance Hearing at the European Parliament
On 1 March 2016 – (9.30-12.30), Sergio Gutierrez Prieto (S&D) and Marian Harkin (ALDE), with the EU Alliance for a democratic, social and sustainable European Semester- Housing Europe is a member- are pleased to invite you to their hearing "The AGS behind, the Semester ahead, what proposals to make Europe 2020 more social, democratic and sustainable?" in the European Parliament.
The event comes at a timely moment to kick-start discussion around the launch of 2016 European Semester, following the adoption of the Annual Growth Survey 2016 in November, and the finalizing of the EP own initiative Report on the European Semester for economic policy coordination – Employment and Social Aspects in the AGS 2016. Although some progress is seen in the new AGS, a major concern for many stakeholders is the loss of visibility and importance given to the Europe 2020 strategy, with no specific proposals made by the EU on the Mid-Term Review, already a year overdue, and in particular its vision of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Check out the agenda, the speakers of the day and register
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QUALICHeCK upcoming events
The 2nd QUALICHeCK Workshop will take place in Athens, Greece, on 9-10 March 2016, at the Metropolitan Hotel, and will focus on sustainable summer comfort technologies. Within the context of compliance and quality, topics to be covered include solar control, developments in cooling technologies and potential for advanced cooling, status on ventilate cooling, cool roofs and more. Attendance is free but prior registration is required. Certificates of attendance will be provided upon request.
For more info including the programme and registration form
In addition, the 3rd QUALICHeCK Conference will take place on 10 May 2016, in Brussels, Belgium.
For more info including registration form
Find out more about QUALICHeCK and its relevance to the work of Housing Europe
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