What is ASTER? ASTER is a special purpose company which will manage and finance investment programmes which tackle energy poverty. Social tenants will be enabled to reduce energy use and to access the benefits renewable energy. It’s a cross sector initiative led by the social housing sector. One of the main motivators of ASTER is that financing is sustainable i.e. does not count on the public budget. It therefore avoids political discussions, particularly relevant in Belgium, about who should pay for the energy transition.

Housing affordability is currently one of the most complex policy challenges our societies in Europe are faced with. As part of our work to identify solutions to this challenge, and in light of the launch of the 'State of Housing in Europe' 2019 report next autumn, we present a series of interviews with institutions and international stakeholders that have been looking at affordable housing, publishing influential reports and generating valuable data.

The annual agenda-setting event around public, cooperative and social housing in Europe is held this year on Thursday, 6 June 2019 within the 2nd International Social Housing Festival in Lyon. Every year, more than 150 representatives of housing associations across Europe, policymakers and the civil society come together in an exchange that generates evidence-based policy suggestions on the key issues of the housing agenda. The event curator and Communications Director of Housing Europe, Michalis Goudis shares some thoughts on this year's theme.