Every month we introduce you to one of the people leading the work of our member organisations. In this edition, we thought of introducing you to the President of our new member from Finland, KOVA that joined the family of Housing Europe at our General Assembly in Amsterdam last June. Jaana Närö presents the organisation, gives us information about the perception of housing in Finland and shares some thoughts about the current challenges at national level. Plus, as usual, she reveals her secret recipe for a good life-work balance.

To improve sustainability and drive market demand for better buildings, Level(s) has been developed by the European Commission in close collaboration with stakeholders including Skanska, Saint-Gobain, Sustainable Building Alliance and Green Building Councils.

It only takes a short drive or metro ride from the city centre to visit a housing project that can offer you an injection of optimism. There are 565 reasons for that in a rare mosaic that goes beyond the theories about social mix. Startblok Riekerhaven is a true source of inspiration for housing associations that are confronted with the integration challenge. Driven by the mission ‘Building a future together’ Startblok shows how youngsters of totally different backgrounds can support each other establishing a community that goes beyond just housing provision, laying the foundations for a better future. Housing Europe paid a visit to Riekerhaven as part of its participation at the International Social Housing Festival.