European Social and Affordable Housing Finance Summit

Before the onset of COVID-19, the social and affordable housing sector faced a €57bn annual investment gap, meaning that investment in this sector should have increased by 25% in Europe. The lack of investment in social and public housing and the recent climb in house prices has resulted in growing waiting lists.

In addition, to bring the social and affordable housing stock in line with Paris' goals for emissions reduction while addressing the lack of affordable housing the sector faces an extra investment gap of €13 billion for renovation every year (EPC Label B and A by 2050). In a nutshell, housing providers face considerable constraints in delivering sufficient affordable homes and the renovation rates that would enable the energy transition.

Numerous funding opportunities have been made available by the European Investment Bank and the European Union, which complemented by Structural Funds and national and local support schemes, have potential to partially address the problem also by making multiple funding systems for investment in social and affordable housing more coherent to the different national contexts.

To create our Next Generation Neighbourhoods where people can thrive, an intensive exchange is needed on innovative financing schemes and governance. That is why, in June 2023, Housing Europe launched its Housing Finance Working Group to develop capacity across Europe to create healthy housing ecosystems that can provide sustainable, long-term solutions.

The Annual Social and Affordable Housing Finance Summit is one of the activities of this Working Group besides identifying investment needs, peer-to-peer learning, local workshops, and mentoring. The Summit is also fulfilling the goals of the Liege Declaration agreed in March 2024 which called for a European platform for exchange on housing systems.

Therefore, in Milan, Housing Europe and Legacoop Abitanti are bringing together housing and finance stakeholders to discuss hurdles faced by housing providers, municipalities, and companies across the continent to access funding as they look to move the Renovation Wave and the New European Bauhaus forward. One of the expected goals of the event is to share strategies for a new season of Public Private Partnership in a renovated idea of Services of General Economic Interest, with creative institutional set-up (national and regional levels) and management and monitoring approaches.

We will also jointly uncover novel and replicable financial solutions – from alternative funding to sustainable business models - that work for the people and communities with a focus on Revolving funds practices and long-term coordinated methods. 
 

A more detailed programme and registration will be published shortly.