Housing Europe

15/10/2026

Four years of coordinating the Affordable Housing Initiative European Partnership and hard work on district renovation without leaving people behind, we have so much to share.

Some things worked brilliantly, others proved much harder than expected, and some ideas probably belong on the shelf.

Now we want to share it all – not just the success stories, but the lessons, the obstacles and the things we would do differently.

One lesson we are fully convinced of is that you can't fix housing one building, one funding programme or one policy at a time. Neighbourhoods are living places. Housing, energy, mobility, public space – it all connects, and the people who live there should have a real say in what changes.

We have seen this first-hand through our Lighthouse Districts, new housing models and experiments in making financing and cooperation work.

Here is where we would love to have a bigger conversation.

What have we learnt that is ready to become standard practice across Europe? What simply doesn't travel well from one city to another? Where will the money come from? And how do we make sure greener neighbourhoods remain affordable for the people who call them home?

Four years of trying, testing and learning. It is time to talk about what we keep, what we change and what we leave behind. Join us for two days of deep dives into everything from exemplary renovation to mobility, accessibility and electrification.

If there's one housing event you put in your calendar before the end of the year, make it this one.

Registration is obligatory.
https://shape-affordablehousing.eu/event/

30/09/2026

Housing Europe’s newsletter has a new home. Now sent through European provider Brevo, it’s a small switch that reflects our commitment to local solutions. The same impactful news, a fresher look and a more personalised experience for nearly 2,500 readers.

Inside this edition: one week after Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address, our Communications Director, Diana Yordanova, headed to the Berlaymont to sit down with Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing.

🎙️ Tune in for 30 minutes on the politics of making a house a home and what it will take for Europe’s mission-led housing sector to deliver. From unlocking investment and building stronger neighbourhoods to the Affordable Housing Initiative and securing housing’s place in the next EU budget, the conversation explores what Europe’s ambitions mean for public, cooperative, and social housing.
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The full episode: https://tinyurl.com/5azbtjkz
Stay on top of Europe’s housing news & subscribe to our newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/9yj25kcj

23/09/2026

📸 🤘 France has launched the first National Housing Hub under the European Affordable Housing Plan.

With 25,000 housing professionals at the 86th Social Housing Congress in Bordeaux, there could hardly have been a better place to make this announcement. 🇫🇷 France is once again taking the lead in mobilising European funding for social, intermediate and sustainable housing.

The initiative brings together Housing Europe member L'Union sociale pour l'habitat, the French State, Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the CEB - Council of Europe Development Bank, with the support of the European Commission.

The ambition is to channel and unlock European financing, share expertise and remove barriers to housing investment.

The Hub will build on an established partnership. The European Alliance for Sustainable and Inclusive Social Housing, launched in 2020, has already helped mobilise substantial European resources for the sector.

The urgency remains, as demand for social housing in France continues to grow❗

Our President, Marco Corradi, called for €100 billion for the sector in the EU’s 2028–2034 budget which is just a fraction of what is needed to renovate existing homes and build new ones.

Our policy team, Julien Dijol and Johanne Philippe are bringing the European perspective to the Congress, find our stand showcasing our reports, the upcoming European Responsible Housing Awards and Festival in Lisbon in 2027, all connecting national housing priorities with European action.

18/09/2026

We are wrapping up a big week.

The EU’s State of the Union address time dedicated to housing fell from minutes in 2025 to seconds this year. Whether the reduced time is a slip down the agenda or can be explained because the bulk of the 2025 initiatives are considered ‘actioned’ is unclear. 🧐

🔥 What we see is that housing is a political hot potato.

There was a clear polarisation of views on the Affordable Housing Act in the European Parliament’s special housing committee with non-positions, cancelling each other out. It’s a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.

The answer to how to manoeuvre now is in front of our eyes. Europe should not wait for housing stress to take hold before investing in public, cooperative and social homes that stay affordable for real (for a long, long time).

More on the how's here - https://www.housingeurope.eu/prevent-the-next-housing-stress-area-build-affordability-that-lasts/

27/08/2026

There cannot be peaceful communities without community spirit. While that is obvious, supporting residents to become involved can be less so.
Let's briefly stop to see how Irish housing coops are addressing this🏘️

Sometimes, low confidence, limited skills or previous negative experiences can make it harder to get involved and make your voice heard. From litter picks to creative writing courses, Co-operative Housing Ireland forged different paths, requiring various degrees of participation, to enourage their tenats to be part of the community.

By creating inclusive routes into participation, we can help build stronger communities — rooted in confidence, connection and belonging.

Read more inspiring housing coop stories from this year's International Day of Cooperatives ➡️ https://www.housingeurope.eu/2026-international-day-of-cooperatives/

Co-operative Housing International, Cooperatives Europe

18/08/2026

What if a community garden could actually be a first step in preventing conflict?
That's part of what the cooperative Diversity in Housing project is testing in Gratwein, Austria. 🇦🇹

Sometimes, we don't need a multi-step plan to address conflict. Problems often grow when they are pushed out of the way. But what if, instead, we brought them out into the fresh air, perhaps while planting a flower or getting our hands dirty in the garden?

The Styrian initiative zusammen>wohnen< works with residents and property managers from the outset, creating opportunities for proactive communication and structured dialogue rather than waiting for tensions to escalate.

By giving people the space to get to know each other, talking about the things that affect living together can become a little easier.🕊️

Read more inspiring housing coop stories from this year's International Day of Cooperatives ➡️ https://www.housingeurope.eu/2026-international-day-of-cooperatives/

Co-operative Housing International, Cooperatives Europe

23/07/2026

Reducing Europe's dependence on imported fossil fuels, strengthening energy sovereignty, improving competitiveness and delivering on climate objectives all require a well-thought and well-funded transformation of Europe's homes.

⚡ ⚡ ⚡ For public, cooperative and social housing providers, the objective is broader than electrification alone - it is to decarbonise Europe's homes while keeping them affordable. Electrification will be a key driver of this transition, but it is not an end in itself.

“Public, cooperative and social housing providers are uniquely placed to make this happen. Together, Housing Europe's members own and manage more than 26 million homes across Europe and are already delivering the energy transition at scale. From deep renovation programmes and renewable energy projects to energy communities and neighbourhood regeneration, they demonstrate every day that climate action, affordability and social inclusion can go hand in hand. Success should therefore be measured not only by the technologies deployed, but by the ability to reduce emissions, lower energy bills and build more resilient communities.” says Marco Corradi, President of Housing Europe.

Read our perspective here: https://www.housingeurope.eu/electrification-and-beyond-a-public-cooperative-and-social-housing-perspective/

04/07/2026

Across Europe, the value of peace, security and a place to call home feels more important than ever. Housing cannot solve everything, but good homes and strong communities are part of the foundation of peaceful societies.

Today, on the International Day of Cooperatives, we celebrate this year’s theme: Cooperatives for a Peaceful World 🕊️

cooperatives may come in many shapes and forms, but they are rooted in shared principles: democratic control, member participation, mutual support, collective responsibility, affordability, solidarity and long-term commitment to communities.

Good housing is part of the foundation for peaceful societies. Secure and decent homes, inclusive neighbourhoods and stable communities create places where people can participate, support one another, build trust and plan for the future.

In Europe, cooperative housing shows what these principles look like in practice — from residents greening their streets in 🇩🇰Copenhagen, to creating safe spaces in 🇪🇸Spain, to housing communities tackling loneliness in 🇸🇪Sweden, strengthening participation in 🇮🇪Ireland, creating spaces for dialogue in 🇦🇹Austria, and renovating homes sustainably in 🇩🇪Germany.

Cooperative housing is one vital part of the wider public, cooperative and social housing ecosystem working every day to keep people, affordability and community at the centre.

On , we celebrate the cooperative values that help create homes and neighbourhoods where people can thrive, and where more peaceful communities can take root.

👉 Read the stories that we collected from across Europe: https://www.housingeurope.eu/2026-international-day-of-cooperatives/

Have a cooperative housing story to share? We’d love to hear how your community is putting cooperation into practice. Get in touch to contribute 🏘️

ABF, HSB, Co-operative Housing Ireland, Wohnungsverein Hagen eG, Sostre Cívic, Coop4PEDs

Co-operative Housing International, Cooperatives Europe, International Cooperative Alliance

What does housing have to do with peace? Each year, the International Day of Cooperatives celebrates the contribution of cooperatives to tackling global challenges. This year's theme, "Cooperatives for a Peaceful World", recognises that peace is built not only through diplomacy, but also through str...

21/05/2026

While the Responsible Housing Finance group meets in Budapest, our Communications Director Diana Yordanova sat down with MEP Irene Tinagli at the European Parliament to ask how the EU’s next 7-year budget can help ease the housing crisis Europe is facing.

Housing Europe has been calling for €100 billion for public, cooperative, and social housing in the EU’s next long-term budget because the numbers no longer add up for housing providers in Europe. Renovating ageing buildings has become significantly more expensive in recent years, from construction materials and labour costs to the new energy efficiency standards Europe rightly wants to achieve.

Demand for affordable housing keeps rising in every Member State, leaving providers under pressure to both renovate existing homes and build new ones at scale.

We estimate that €100 billion would still cover only around one-fifth of the sector’s additional investment needs, but it would send a strong signal that Europe is ready to treat housing as the defining social challenge it has become.

19/05/2026

Europe’s housing crisis may be shared, but housing systems differ across the continent. How can we design governance systems that maximise the absorption of EU funds by the public, cooperative, and social housing sector?

On 21 May in Budapest, Housing Europe, MR Housing Fund and the Metropolitan Research Institute - Városkutatás Kft will bring together during a workshop housing providers, public authorities, financial institutions and experts to discuss a timely question: how can European housing ambitions translate into practical solutions at local level?

The workshop takes place at an important moment. As the Recovery and Resilience Facility comes to an end and discussions advance around the next EU budget cycle (MFF 2028–2034), housing is moving higher on the European agenda through initiatives such as the European Affordable Housing Plan and the upcoming Pan-European Investment Platform.

But the discussion is no longer only about whether funding exists.

As Sorcha Edwards, Europe’s Secretary General, recently stressed, the challenge is also to “get the investment right”: creating financing and governance systems that can deliver long-term affordability, support sustainable neighbourhoods, and avoid speculative dynamics.

Drawing on the findings of hashtag , the Budapest workshop will explore how different countries structure affordable housing systems through the interaction of:
🔹governance,
🔹finance,
🔹land,
🔹and sustainability frameworks.

Hungary offers an important perspective for this exchange. While homeownership remains dominant, new initiatives such as the MR Housing Fund are contributing to the development of the social and affordable rental sector and raising broader questions around investment capacity, institutional frameworks, and long-term housing delivery.

The discussions will focus on practical questions:
🔹What governance and financing models actually work in practice?
🔹What can realistically be adapted to different national and local contexts?
🔹How can municipalities and housing providers prepare for emerging EU investment opportunities?
🔹And how can European-level tools effectively support housing delivery on the ground?

The workshop is organised as part of Housing Europe’s European Responsible Housing Finance Working Group, launched in 2023 to strengthen peer learning, investment capacity and exchange on sustainable housing finance systems across Europe.

Photo credit: MR Közösségi Lakásalap