EU and international focus will be on social and affordable housing in coming year

While housing is a national competency and not a competency of the European Union or any international institution, there are a number of key activities that are occurring in the coming year that the housing sector in Ireland should be aware of, and seek to have an active role in, writes Dónal McManus, CEO, Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH).

Two of these important milestones include the official appointment of the new European Commissioner on Energy and Housing in the coming weeks, and the International Social Housing Festival (ISHF) which will be held for the first time in Dublin on between 4th June and 6th June 2025.

A new European Energy and Housing Commissioner

The focus on housing as part of a new European Commission brief on Energy and Housing is significant. It is a reflection what is happening in many parts of the EU, particularly in cities which has manifested in many member states with severe housing affordability problems for certain target groups, the increased need for social and affordable housing, increased levels of homelessness, and the need for energy retrofits in the housing sector to meet climate action targets both nationally and within the EU. Many Individuals and families are facing new housing realities where they are seeking housing support from the state that they did not previously need state support to meet their housing need. It is estimated by Housing Europe based on Eurostat statistics that 9.6 million full-time workers in the EU aged between 25 and 34 still lived with their parents in 2020, one-in-five of this group. Ireland had a particularly high level living with their parents.

Although delivery of housing is not a EU competence under the treaties, there is a significant spill over from EU directives and programmes that impact directly on the housing sector and its delivery. EU public procurement, energy requirements, social inclusion and competition and state aid rules are a range of measures that the Government and housing sectors have to consider in the delivery of new homes and eligibility of households for social and affordable housing at national level. There has been a somewhat Europeanisation of housing in recent decades in certain areas. The Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for Housing, now reactivated sharing information, the establishment of active European housing and related networks such as Housing Europe, Feantsa, Eurocities, ENHR (EU housing research network) have provided a focus on key housing challenges and often were the catalyst in establishing new programmes and initiatives at Commission level.

The ICSH is an active member of Housing Europe who have sought to ensure the new Energy and Housing Commissioner will undertake concrete measures to support the housing sector to complement and add to what has been undertaken at individual member state level. The call for concrete action includes the European Affordable Housing Plan, an Investment Platform for affordable and sustainable housing, revised state aid rules to reflect wider housing market failure and increase and double social cohesion investment. An additional challenge for Ireland for consideration is the reclassification of the AHB sector in 2018 being included on the state’s balance sheet by Eurostat. With an increased and expanded AHB sector in future, and increased levels of financing required, EU accounting rules and changing rules on expenditure and debt will have an impact on housing delivery mechanisms.

Any new Commissioner on Energy and Housing requires a budget for agreed programmes of measures to implement. It is important that it is not a case of old wine in new bottles for funding but new targeted investments and supports. Ireland can point to previous history of both local authorities and AHBs in successfully utilising EU funding programmes ranging from structural funds, social funds and Interreg programmes to name a few. They have supported everything from upgrading vacant properties to more recently developing new innovation on energy projects.

First ever ISHF in Ireland-Stakeholders working together

Between 4th June and 6th June 2025, Dublin will host the International Social Housing Festival (ISHF). Dublin follows on from previous ISHF events in Amsterdam, Lyon, Helsinki and Barcelona. The main hub for the festival will be the Dublin Convention Centre and will also include site locations and events around the four Dublin local authority areas. In recent years there have been a range of new social and affordable housing projects in Dublin delivered by local authorities, AHBs and the LDA. The event is effectively the World Expo for social and affordable housing and will include delegates, speakers and participants attending from Europe and throughout the world.

In Barcelona in June 2023, Dublin was conferred with the right to host the next ISHF in Dublin 2025. Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage accepted the handover on behalf of Dublin from the organisers in Barcelona. The ICSH led the initiative for the ISHF Dublin 2025 with support from Housing Europe and CHI as well as additional support from The Housing Agency, the HFA, HDCO, four Dublin local authorities (DCC, SDCC, Fingal CC, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, Fáilte Ireland, and UCD to promote Dublin as a host City for the international festival. The festival will be an inclusive event and will include a range of stakeholders with an interest in social and affordable housing ranging from the public and private sectors to local communities. To date, there has been huge support and assistance from the Minister, his officials, the local authorities, AHBs, communities as well as public and private bodies, all interested in ensuring that Dublin ISHF 2025 will be a highly successful global event for social and affordable housing.

It is timely, as many countries throughout the world are collectively experiencing significant challenges with social and affordable housing and homelessness, yet there are major programmes and new initiatives being developed in countries to meet these challenges and these can be shared at Dublin ISHF 2025.

It is important that all stakeholders are aware and promote this event as it is a one opportunity for Dublin and Ireland to host this global event and have major mutual exchanges of a range of housing-related challenges.

For more information contact:

Dónal McManus
CEO, Irish Council for Social Housing and Chair of Housing Europe EonFin and Internal Market Working Group

W: www.socialhousingfestival.eu