Every month we introduce you to one of the people leading the work of our member organisations. In this edition, we take a trip to Belfast to meet Alan Shannon, the new Chair of our member, NIFHA. Alan presents the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations, gives us information about the perception of housing in N. Ireland and shares some thoughts about the current challenges at national level. Plus, as usual, he reveals his secret recipe for a good life-work balance.

89 social and moderate rental homes were inaugurated in September in the municipality of Molenbeek in Brussels by SLRB and its local housing association. The building complex Lavoisier is located in a former tobacco factory of the British American Tobacco. How can a former industrial site be transformed into energy efficient, affordable housing?

November is an exciting month for social housing providers in the Netherlands. Every year, with a mix of hope and anxiety, it is when the results of the Aedes-Benchmark are published. This year will be the fourth edition after the benchmark was launched in 2014. The benchmark was introduced to make sure social housing corporations stay alert and learn from colleague corporations. It was a reaction to a series of incidents that plagued the sector around 2010. The sector came under public and political pressure to improve its performances and the level of transparency. The benchmark has proven to be a valuable instrument since then.