The International Social Housing Festival kicks off

‘Affordable housing now, better communities tomorrow’

Amsterdam, 27 March 2017 | Published in Social

A picture of the founding partners at the launch event- From left to right: Egbert de Vries, Director of the Amsterdam Federation of Social Housing Associations, Alice Roegholt, Director of the Museum Het Schip, Sorch Edwards, Secretary General of Housing Europe, Laurens Ivens, Amsterdam Alderperson responsible for Building and Housing Planning and Community Development Quinten Snijders, Press Officer of Aedes and Pepijn Bakker, ISHF Project Leader.

41 events organized by 30 partners, 8 different venues in the Dutch capital, more than 168 hours dedicated to a basic human right. The first celebration of the long tradition of decent, affordable housing for all is coming on June 13th in Amsterdam. Over 10 days the International Social Housing Festival (ISHF) will illustrate through conferences, workshops, lectures, tours, presentations, exhibitions, film screenings, debates, installations, activities for children and much more the added value of social housing for sustainable communities.

A joint initiative by the Amsterdam School Museum Het Schip, Aedes-The Federation of Dutch Social Housing Associations, Housing Europe-the European Federation of Public, Cooperative and Social Housing, the Amsterdam Federation of Housing Corporations and the Municipality of Amsterdam the Festival aims to be a platform of exchange for tenants, tenants’ associations, home owners, opinion leaders, self-builders, housing cooperatives, urban planners, administrators, developers, managers, designers, academics and policy makers.

The themes of Migration to Cities, Segregation and Inequality and Diversification will work as the thread that brings the various event together under the Festival umbrella. The complete line up of events was announced during a kick-off event on March 23rd at the Museum Het Schip in Amsterdam by the Project Leader, Pepijn Bakker and is available on the Festival website.

The City of Amsterdam Alderperson responsible for Building and Housing Planning and Community Development, Laurens Ivens opened the official announcement emphasizing that “social housing is the only way we have to ensure that our city is undivided. Without it Amsterdam wouldn’t be the same today, as access to decent and affordable housing is fundamental for the people’s overall quality of life”.

The Director of the Amsterdam Federation of Housing Associations, Egbert de Vries highlighted that “on the one hand we know that the Dutch housing system is quite special and we want to share it but on the other we also want to learn from others. The diversity of the Festival partners is a guarantee for this exchange”.

The Secretary General of Housing Europe, Sorcha Edwards underlined that when it comes to successful housing systems “you don’t know what you have you have until you lose” and invited all participants and organizers to “make noise in support of affordable housing in a post-fact reality”.