Housing Europe presents findings of survey on social housing investment needs to the European Investment Bank
Housing Europe delegation also discusses EU Green Deal engagement
Luxembourg, 4 February 2020 | Published in Economy, Social![EIB President Hoyer opened the seminar: "Scarcity of housing will be a determining factor both in Europe & beyond, for vulnerable & middle class. The housing question is the key social issue of the decade [...] we need to engage to mitigate it".](/image/2768/largejpeg/eib-president-hoyer-opened-the-seminar-scarcity-of-housing-will-be-a-determining-factor-both-in-europe-beyond-for-vulnerable-middle-class-the-housing-question-is-the-key-social-issue-of-the-decade-we-need-to-engage-to-mitigate-it.jpg)
Housing Europe Secretary General, Sorcha Edwards, and Research Coordinator, Dara Turnbull, travelled to EIB HQ on the 4th of February, along with a number of civil society groups, to engage with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on financing the required just environmental transition.
The EIB President, Werner Hoyer, offered strong words of encouragement for the social housing sector, while Sorcha used the occasion to press home the key role being played by Housing Europe members in addressing the housing crisis, noting that speculative practices on the housing market makes this task more challenging. Mr. Hoyer opened the seminar saying that "Scarcity of housing will be a determining factor both in Europe & beyond, for vulnerable & middle class. The housing question is the key social issue of the decade [...] we need to engage to mitigate it".
This visit to the Headquarters of the European Investment Bank also provided the opportunity to make a formal presentation of the findings of a recent Housing Europe Members survey on the investment needs of the social, public & cooperative housing sector in the EU. The survey estimates needed investments in new construction and rehabilitation to be made in the coming decade. The survey of members was commissioned to the Housing Europe Observatory by the EIB as they look to better grasp the needs of our sector with a view to becoming more active in providing financing to social housing providers.