Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that we are facing today. Science has brought us far and we know that reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve a just transition to a low-carbon and energy-efficient built environment will be

Fair circularity in affordable homes put into practice

Aug 9th, 2022 24m 57s

It has now been three years since Housing Europe embarked on a special journey – to increase circularity in social and affordable homes, by bringing renovation techniques, recycling, and upcycling to a new level while preserving affordability a

Taming mortgage markets can make homes more affordable

May 30th, 2022 38m 6s

Cheap money is gold for private housing investors, and central banks have a big role to play in directing money flows. This is one of the key messages from our previous podcast episode that focused on how central banks are affecting our access

Central banks influence money flows - have they got their current role right?

Apr 29th, 2022 43m 27s

Money makes the world go around and central banks supposedly keep it flowing. However, should they also ensure it flows in the right direction?Central banks aim at promoting financial stability and could promote sustainable development that in

In search of tools that tame financialisation

Mar 24th, 2022 32m 26s

Where did we leave the conversation last time? After our 12 #Housing2030 podcast episodes about affordable housing that is mindful of climate sustainability, responsible land policy, better governance and finance were listened about 2,400 times

Le logement social: un véritable terrain d'innovation

Jul 16th, 2021 12m 30s

[FR]Le logement social est souvent considéré comme un laboratoire d'innovation sociale et environnementale. Ce podcast qui nous amènera à quelques kilomètres des bureaux de Housing Europe le prouvera. Alors restez avec nous, car nous allons da

Investing right in housing systems in transition

Apr 12th, 2021 26m

Well-functioning housing systems can be easy to grasp and build upon. At the same time, developing housing systems in transition or even starting from zero is not a given. It takes political will, dedication, time, adequate and targeted investm

The ABC of housing market financialisation and what can we do to fix it

Apr 8th, 2021 31m 31s

Try discussing housing affordability without mentioning the financialisation of real estate property. This key concept has affected the general housing conditions in many countries - big funds buying tens of thousands of homes, expanding mortga

Diverse funding ensures housing affordability when public finances 'get a cold'

Apr 7th, 2021 22m 46s

Being a fundamental right, our homes should be treated the same way in national accounts as energy or transport infrastructure. While we often think of the social benefits of housing affordability, there are also a handful of economic reasons t

How to take the Finnish track in housing policy?

Feb 19th, 2021 12m 42s

When speaking about social inclusion and housing, one European country can be seen as a total myth buster. Yes, it is Finland. Once travel is safe and possible again, we dare you to have a stroll in its capital, Helsinki and try to tell the dif

Evidence - the compass of a good housing governance

Feb 15th, 2021 24m 6s

“Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule,” writes Charles Dickens in his novel the ‘Great expectations’. When speaking about evidence, the hundreds of graphs and reports about the current state of housing

The fundamental 'building blocks' of good housing governance

Feb 1st, 2021 17m 47s

When was the last time when you took a stroll around a neighbourhood and you found it well-maintained, with a good social mix and green spaces or just the opposite, rather run-down, leaving you a feeling that things can be improved? And a secon

The ‘cocktail of change’ improving the cities we live in

Nov 3rd, 2020 26m 18s

We can’t judge a book by its cover but can we have a clear idea of the vision of a city by looking at how liveable it is? Paying special attention to the level of existing affordable housing, the configuration of its neighbourhoods, the ecologi

Bringing tenants on board - an ingredient for a successful renovation

Oct 28th, 2020 15m 39s

Our home – the place where we now work and play, celebrate holidays and relax might seem to us to be always the same, just as we left it this morning. At the same time, we also know that housing is developing as we are speaking. Isn’t that a fa

Homes good for the climate and for the pocket - it is possible

Oct 26th, 2020 14m

The changing climate of the planet presents a challenge to all of us. Besides being a key issue that we need to tackle swiftly and effectively, climate change and environmental goals have to be designed to protect all parts of our society. With

Paris: the housing strategy at the heart of a functional and socially mixed '15-minute' city

May 18th, 2020 24m 39s

One could call it the ‘holy grail’ of today’s highly urbanized world. The way authorities manage it shapes the way we live, including how much public and green space we can benefit from, how we can move around, what types of services we can

It all comes down to what piece of land you can afford

May 13th, 2020 30m 53s

Paraphrasing Mark Twain one could say “take good care of Land, they aren't making it anymore”. This is why when one needs to look at ways to boost provision of affordable housing until 2030, land is definitely one of the major points for consid

Good land policy involves planning for the wider public interest

May 5th, 2020 32m 19s

This episode kicks off a mini-series dedicated to #Housing2030, 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 repre

Making a house a home - A message for "decent and affordable housing for all" from the European Parliament

Apr 22nd, 2020 10m 38s

After discussing the EU Green Deal and its ambition for a Renovation Wave, today we’re heading back to the European Parliament to meet one of its Dutch Members with the Greens, Kim van Sparrentak. Kim is currently rapporteur of the European Par

Making a house a home - The key success of the EU Green Deal would be to help all members of society

Apr 17th, 2020 13m 49s

We’re back with yet another episode of our series around the housing aspect of the Coronavirus Crisis, in which we are addressing a number of questions that are probably in your mind as well, with one special guest each time.Today, we’re makin

Making a house a home - A pandemic as the death sentence for policies at the root of inequalities

Apr 14th, 2020 13m 30s

In episode 2 of our Coronavirus podcast series, we welcome the Secretary General of Housing Europe, Sorcha Edwards. Since it’s been a while we can’t meet in the office, we had a Skype Call with Sorcha to discuss which aspects of an existing, un

Making a house a home - The Coronavirus Housing Crisis

Apr 5th, 2020 17m 48s

As part of our Coronavirus podcast series, we discuss with KU Leuven Professor Manuel Aalbers, coordinator of the Real Estate/Financial Complex research project the ‘Coronavirus Housing Crisis’, as he described it in his recent article on Tribu

Making a house a home #8 - Getting a taste of how the EU Green Deal looks like in practice

Feb 26th, 2020 29m 56s

Housing Europe organised a field trip to the UIA backed project ‘Superlocal’ in Kerkrade in the Netherlands for a delegation consisting of MEP, Kim Van Sparrentak and European Commission Officials from DG Grow and the Executive Agency for Sm

Making a house a home #3 - Housing First

2 Oct 17th, 2019 45m 25s

In the third episode of 'Making a house a home' we turn our spotlight to Housing First.Why is this probably the best way to fight homelessness? What does the case of Finland show to the rest of EU Member States? What is the aim of the Housin

Making a house a home #7 - The life cycles of our homes

Apr 29th, 2019 37m 25s

This time, we dive into the circular world. The circular economy is all over the place in the Brussels policy scene since the European Commission presented the Circular Economy Package in early 2018. But what do we actually mean with the ter