Elena Szolgayova, David Orr, Dr. Julie Lawson & others
Housing2030
2024
🏠 Context and Purpose The document presents two significant housing initiatives: #Housing2030 and EqualHouse, housed on the website housing2030.org. This platform serves as a resource for addressing critical issues surrounding housing inequality and affordability across Europe. The initiatives are a collaborative effort involving over 56 governments, various international organizations, and a network of 43,000 affordable housing providers, emphasizing the need for effective housing policies in the wake of challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 🌍 #Housing2030 Initiative #Housing2030 adopts a holistic approach to affordable housing, recognizing its interconnections with climate change and social progress. The initiative aims to improve housing affordability while simultaneously promoting sustainable development. Key features include the development of adaptable policy guidance and a toolkit tailored to the specific needs of diverse member states. The initiative highlights four main areas of focus: strategic land policy, funding instruments, good governance, and environmental standards. By leveraging best practices from over 50 countries, the initiative seeks to offer practical strategies for policymakers. 🔍 EqualHouse Research Project EqualHouse is a pioneering EU Horizon research project targeting housing inequality. This initiative stands out by integrating various aspects of housing inequality into a comprehensive study. It employs a transdisciplinary approach, bringing together experts from different fields to analyze connections between income, wealth, and housing disparities. The project aims to provide robust policy tools and insights to address housing challenges faced by marginalized communities, including refugees and migrants. 📊 Goals and Objectives Both initiatives share common goals: to enhance the understanding of housing inequality and its broader implications on society and to provide policymakers with effective tools to foster inclusive housing solutions. They emphasize the importance of discussing the challenges and co-creating innovative policy solutions in real-time, particularly in light of the economic pressures resulting from inflation and changing interest rates. 🤝 Collaborative Efforts The initiatives are supported by various key partners, including the UNECE Committee on Urban Development and Housing, the UN Human Settlements Programme, and Housing Europe. These collaborations aim to build global commitment and capacity for sustainable housing policies that ensure affordable housing for all. In summary, #Housing2030 and EqualHouse represent a concerted effort to tackle pressing housing issues through comprehensive research and practical policy development, addressing both the immediate and systemic challenges of housing inequality across Europe.
The website housing2030.org serves as a central hub for two significant housing-related initiatives: EqualHouse and #Housing2030. These projects aim to address critical issues in housing inequality and affordability across Europe.
EqualHouse
EqualHouse is an innovative EU Horizon research project focused on studying housing inequality. This groundbreaking initiative stands out for several reasons:
- It's the first research endeavor to integrate all dimensions of housing inequality into a single, comprehensive study.
- The project employs a transdisciplinary approach, bringing together experts from various fields to tackle the complex issue of housing inequality.
- EqualHouse extends its scope beyond national borders, providing a transnational perspective on housing issues.
- By analyzing multiple aspects of housing inequality that were previously studied in isolation, the project aims to generate novel insights and potential solutions.
The primary goal of EqualHouse is to deepen our understanding of housing inequality and its far-reaching impacts on society. By combining different dimensions of inequality, the project seeks to uncover new patterns and relationships that may have been overlooked in more narrowly focused studies.
#Housing2030
#Housing2030 is a policy-oriented initiative that takes a holistic approach to improving affordable housing outcomes. This project recognizes that housing issues are intrinsically linked to other societal challenges and aims to address them simultaneously. Key features of #Housing2030 include:
- A multifaceted approach that tackles affordable housing issues while also addressing climate change and promoting social and economic progress.
- The development of policy guidance and tools to help policymakers enhance affordable housing outcomes in their regions.
- A flexible 'tool kit' of solutions that can be adapted to the specific needs and changing demands of different member states and regions.
- A strong focus on climate-conscious housing solutions, recognizing the urgent need to address environmental concerns in housing policy.
- An emphasis on stimulating social and economic progress alongside improvements in affordable housing.
#Housing2030 aims to provide policymakers with practical, adaptable strategies to improve housing affordability while also addressing other pressing societal issues.
Website Purpose and Content
The housing2030.org website serves as a platform to disseminate information about these two important initiatives. It likely offers a wealth of resources, including:
- Detailed information about the EqualHouse research project, its methodology, and findings.
- Policy recommendations and tools developed by the #Housing2030 initiative.
- Research reports and case studies related to housing inequality and affordability.
- Updates on ongoing projects and initiatives in the field of housing.
- Resources for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working on housing issues.
The website appears to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in addressing housing challenges in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. It bridges the gap between academic research and practical policy implementation, offering insights and tools to tackle some of the most pressing housing issues facing Europe today.
By hosting information on both EqualHouse and #Housing2030, the website provides a holistic view of current efforts to address housing inequality and affordability. It likely serves as a knowledge hub for policymakers, researchers, urban planners, and social entrepreneurs working in the field of housing and urban development.
A BIT ABOUT #HOUSING2030
WORKING TOWARDS A BETTER TOMORROW
The need for effective, affordable housing policy to ensure access to decent, adequate, affordable and healthy housing for all, as demanded by the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, Geneva UN Charter for Sustainable Housing (2015) and Urban Agenda for the EU Housing Partnership, has been amplified by COVID-19. These policy goals and guidance, in the context of the pandemic, highlight not only our global connections but also the vital importance of urban and housing policy in promoting decent housing and liveable cities. The pandemic has impacted differently of people’s lives and well-being and shown that not everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home or is able to live, work, learn and play in a well-resourced neighbourhood. For this reason housing and urban policy will remain firmly on all governments’ agenda throughout and beyond the next decade.
#Housing2030 shows how policy makers can improve affordable housing outcomes and at the same time play a constructive role in addressing ongoing climate change and stimulate the social and economic recovery now demanded by the pandemic.
#Housing2030 also provides a ‘tool kit’ rather than a universal ‘blueprint’, to respond to the different and changing demands of member states and regions.
In an accessible and helpful format #Housing2030 makes clear what affordable housing entails: strategic land policy, purposeful investment and good governance. This practical report defines key concepts and policy tools drawn from the experience of over 50 countries. The report zeroes in on four key areas: land policy and planning strategies, funding and financing instruments, and good governance and regulation as well as environmental and energy standards for a more sustainable future. Clear illustrations show how these policies have been implemented, pointing out what makes them best practice and providing useful links to a wealth of contacts and resources.
Evidence for the need of affordable and secure housing in liveable and sustainable environments has motivated collaboration between key international organisations at the highest level. #Housing2030 builds on the findings of previous and ongoing land mark studies, such as the UNECE Country Profiles and Good Practice Guides, their joint reports with UN Habitat on Sustainable Housing and Urban Development and SDG 11 and the growing attention of the OECD for affordable housing. The recent Housing Partnership and State of Housing Report by Housing Europe. It also supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the New Urban Agenda and the Geneva Charter of Sustainable Housing.
#Housing2030 is a joint international initiative of housing experts from over 56 governments through UNECE and UN Habitat and 43,000 affordable housing providers and neighbourhood developers represented by Housing Europe. It aims to improve the capacity of national and local governments to formulate policies that improve housing affordability and sustainability.
The partners in this project include the UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management, established in 1947, is the only intergovernmental body addressing the housing and urban development challenges of countries in Europe, North America and Asia. Also involved is the UN Human Settlements Programme (Habitat). Established in 1978, it focuses on sustainable urban development and has led the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Housing Europe is a network of 45 national and regional federations of public, social and cooperative housing providers operating in 24 countries and managing around 25 million homes. By combining their vision and expertise, this extraordinary international collaboration aims to build global commitment and capacity to policies ensuring affordable and sustainable housing for all.
#Housing2030 has been jointly led by Elena Szolgayova, Director General of Ministry of Transport and Construction, Slovak Republic and David Orr former president of Housing Europe. It has been managed by a committee comprising Gulnara Roll, Secretary to Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management at UN Economic Commission for Europe , Sorcha Edwards, Secretary General to Housing Europe and Amie Figueiredo, Programme Management Officer at UN-Habitat. The work of this committee has been ably supported by Dara Turnbull, Research Coordinator, Housing Europe and Agata Krause, Consultant to UNECE, who have been particularly active in organising workshops and questionnaires with their members.
Drafting the report has been undertaken by Dr Julie Lawson, Honorary Associate Professor, Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University in co-operation with a team of authors including Professor Holger Wallbaum, Professor of sustainable building at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg (Sweden), Michelle Norris (University College Dublin; Irish Housing Finance Agency), Kat Grimsley (George Mason School of Business) andSergio Nasarre-Aznar (UNESCO Housing Chair at the University Rovira i Virgili).
Partners would like to express their gratitude to the Housing Agency of Ireland, the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA), the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning and the Czech Ministry of Regional Development for their support to the #Housing2030 Initiative and the preparation of this publication.
The final report was presented at the UNECE Ministerial meeting in Geneva (October 2021).
A BIT ABOUT EQUALHOUSE
WORKING TOWARDS A BETTER TOMORROW
EqualHouse is a pioneering research project funded by the EU that is set to revolutionise our understanding and approach to housing inequality.
Seasoned academics from a variety of European countries and disciplinary backgrounds, policymakers, affordable housing and homeless service providers are analysing the myriad aspects of housing inequality that have previously been studied in isolation.
By doing so, we will provide comprehensive insights and robust guidance to policymakers at all levels across Europe.
For the first time, housing policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and ordinary households from across Europe can discuss and analyse the main challenges that we face, and co-create a set of innovative policy tools to help face up to these challenges. All of this can be done in real-time thanks to the European Community for Housing Equality.
This work is a continuation of the #Housing2030 initiative, where more than 100 social and affordable housing providers, researchers, cities, urbanists, and policymakers put together tried and tested policies and projects that have delivered better housing outcomes.
What will we focus on?
✅ Income, wealth and housing inequalities and how do they influence one another
✅ Financial and fiscal influences on housing inequalities
✅ Subsidies, regulation, land and services to make housing affordable
✅ Socially innovative & community-led solutions to housing inequalities
✅ Tackling acute housing inequalities among refugees and migrants
✅ Unsustainable housing and energy poverty
✅ The links between labour markets and housing issues
What do we want to achieve?
Inform policymakers how income and wealth polarisation affect the housing market against the background of changing interest rates and inflation.
Offer effective measures that can integrate marginalised communities, migrants, refugees that can reduce housing inequalities and improve access to quality housing.
Support policymakers in better understanding how the green and digital transition could affect housing inequalities and how “supply-side” land use policies as well as social innovation could be of help.
Put forward best practices that have successfully developed affordable, inclusive, decent, green homes.