A strong voice
in Europe
Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public, Cooperative, and Social Housing, has been the voice of this sector since 1988. Representing 42 national and regional federations and 15 partner organisations across 31 countries, Housing Europe oversees around 25 million homes, accounting for approximately 11% of Europe’s housing stock. Through our network of over 43,000 local housing organisations, Housing Europe is the point of reference for stable housing models, innovation, research through our Observatory, and events. Find out more about our activities in our annual Yearbook.
Public, cooperative, social housing
Public, cooperative, and social housing in Europe encompasses diverse housing systems and organisations that share a common mission: to provide access to affordable, quality housing for all. From “housing at moderate rent” in France (HLM), “common housing” or “not-for-profit housing” in Denmark, “housing promotion” in Germany, and “limited-profit housing” in Austria,
to ‘protected housing’ in Spain or ‘public residential building’ in Italy, unlike profit-driven entities, which prioritise shareholder returns, these housing providers reinvest any surplus back into their core mission of affordable provision. They help to support improvements in peoples’ homes and innovation, ensuring that residents and communities benefit directly.
More than a roof
Across Europe, public, cooperative, and social housing providers cater to the varied needs of key workers, the elderly, young people, migrants, refugees, single parents, those experiencing homelessness, or people with disabilities. Our network plays a crucial role in promoting social inclusion and labour mobility. By offering affordable housing, it also helps to reduce local unemployment rates, contributing to broader economic stability and competitiveness.
Limited-profit housing in Austria helps households save €1.3 billion per year through lower housing costs, which can be spent in local businesses
In the EU, the cost of removing housing inadequacy would be repaid within 18 months based on projected savings — such as lower healthcare costs and better social outcomes.
In addition to their social impact, public, cooperative, and social housing providers are at the forefront of Europe’s transition to a greener economy. Social, cooperative and public housing providers aim to spend at least €35 billion per year on the provision of additional affordable housing, and €23 billion for renovation and maintenance of their existing stock of homes. That would mean renovating in total 4 million renovated homes by 2030 out of the 35 million that the European Commission urges to renovate by this date.
In Estonia, tax revenues from renovation construction projects have been quantified to be 32–33% of the total renovation project costs, meaning state-subsidised renovation has been budget neutral in the last 10 years.
The sector collaborates with cities and rural communities to tackle pressing challenges such as urban sprawl and socio-spatial segregation. Moreover, our members and partners offer a wide array of services aimed at improving residents’ quality of life, including activities that foster a sense of community, employment and training services, and efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Where do people want to live, and how do they want to live?
A video by BBCStoryWorks