Responsible housing is the response to the housing challenges

The competition that is jointly organised by Housing Europe, Delphis and the International Union of Tenants (IUT) shares the innovative responses of affordable housing providers to the local, social and environmental challenges of our times. 4 Awards will be handed during the ceremony to the winners of each category that corresponds to the core elements of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):

1. Local Social Sustainability
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Good governance and fair relations with stakeholders
4. Responsible human resources management

Housing associations from 9 EU countries France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom submitted their projects that will be added to the Responsible Housing database and shared with other peers through the Handbook of best practices.

The Chair of the Jury and Head of the IUT Liaison Office to the EU, Barbara Steenbergen underlines that:

“for the IUT the most important work to be done to provide affordable housing is the empowerment of residents by innovative housing solutions. The European responsible housing awards show that those practices are achievable and economically feasible for both sides, tenants and landlords. Participation at level playing field is the key.”

Housing Europe President, Marc Calon highlights that: 

“the housing sector can actually work in a way that is not focussed only on bringing back financial yields but on generating positive outcomes for tenants, for landlords, for local communities and the environment. These examples from around Europe shall inspire but also leave us wondering why all housing is not run in this way.”

The event that is taking place under the patronage of the European Committee of the Regions and under the auspices of the Slovakian Presidency of the EU will kick off with a debate on the political dimension of social innovation. Elena Szolgayova, Chair of the EU Urban Agenda Partnership for Housing will discuss with the Director General for Employment of the European Commission, Georg Fischer the housing dimension in the European Pillar of social rights and the role of the EU Urban Agenda Housing Partnership.

The First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz emphasizes that: 

"the exchange of knowledge and best practices developed by actors on the ground fundamentally corresponds with our institution's efforts and mission to echo what happens out of Brussels in cities and regions. The ceremony is not simply the conclusion of a competition but a chance to take momentum in promoting social, responsible housing within the EU in a decisive point of time where several EU processes connected to social housing are ongoing."