Launching 100 lighthouse districts – European Affordable Housing Consortium Final Conference, 21st February in Brussels
The European Affordable Housing Consortium has concluded its initial phase by reconciling the need for affordable housing, the Green European Urban Renewal and the reduction of carbon emissions.
For the last 24 months, the project team has been preparing the ground for a renovation wave driven by social and technical innovation centred around people.
Drawing inspiration from people and places who have successfully put the fair energy transition into practice in local Lighthouse Districts, the team behind the Consortium has created a community ready to share knowledge and tools with practitioners who are now taking the path. After these intensive months of research, study visits, workshops and exchanges, the Blueprints for Replication of Lighthouse Districts were developed to serve as a practical guide for the planning, financing and implementation of integrated district renovation projects while always taking into consideration that there is “no solution fits all.
As the importance of human connection as driver of the movement became clear from the beginning, we want to acknowledge the mentors and mentees that took part in the project by giving them a platform in the event. Their experiences are crucial for the optimisation of policies at both the European and local level towards the goal of bringing 100 Lighthouse Districts of the Affordable Housing Initiative to life.
We hope that this will be an inspirational and fruitful event for EU policymakers but also for all the key stakeholders of the Local Industrial Partnership that are represented in the project consortium (local authorities, social, public and cooperative housing providers and SMEs).
21 February 2024 I Committee of the Regions (JDE51 and Atrium 5) I Brussels
OPENING SESSION
09:10 – 09:30 Welcome
- Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy (video message)
- Bent Madsen, President of Housing Europe
- Andre Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities
09:30 – 09:40 Vienna Housing Model & Integrated District Renovation
Peter Florianschütz, City of Vienna & Member of the Committee of the Regions
THE PROJECT DELIVERY
- Introduction by Henk Visscher, TU Delft
09:50 – 10:00 What the project has delivered?
João Gonçalves, Director of Innovation Housing Europe.
10:00 – 10:45 Becoming Lighthouse Districts, moderated by Elina Sergejeva, Project Manager at Energy Cities
- Goran Jeras, MOBA Housing
- Ilektra Mancini, Hellenic Passive House Institute
- Maja Staleska, HTO
10:45 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 11:15 The European Affordable Housing Consortium & the New European Bauhaus
Marcos Ros Sempere, Member of the European Parliament (S&D)
BRINGING 100 LIGHTHOUSE DISTRICTS TO LIFE
11:10 – 11:20 Policy Lab & Recommendations
Julien Dijol, Policy Director Housing Europe
11:20 – 12:30 Stakeholder Perspectives & Panel, moderated by Julien Dijol
- Michaela Kauer, Head of Brussels Office City of Vienna (City)
- Rossanna Zaccaria, President Legacoop Abitanti (social housing/cooperatives)
- Barbara Steenbergen, Head of International Liaison Office IUT (Tenants)
- Nelson Brito arq: i+d, lda (SME), MIT-Portugal Program UC – (SMEs)
- Bogdan ATANASIU Senior Policy Officer on EE in Buildigs, DG ENER (European Commission)
- Maarten de Groote VITO/EnergyVille expert in Smart Energy & Built Environment (Regional perspective – Flanders)
- Gonçalo Veiga da Silva, Policy Assistant, DG REGIO (European Commission)
12:30 Reflection and closing
Anna Athanasopoulou – Head of Unit G2, Proximity, Social Economy, and Creative Industries, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs
12:45 – 14:00 Lunch and celebration of the Mentors of the Renovation Helpdesk – Atrium 5
A conversation around peer-to-peer support on integrated district renovation, moderated by Margherita Marinelli, Junior Innovation and Project Officer at Housing Europe
- Muris Kodzaga, Hilfswerk International
- William Nelissen, Wonen in Limburg
- Sylwia Slomiak, ssas
- Fabien Lasserre, Vilogia
- Sven Buch, Himmerland Boligforening
- Otto Höller, tafkaoo