European social housing systems. An overview of significant projects and best practices in different countries

Social housing is a vocational topic. It reveals those who really pursue it and with which objectives. To pursue this topic means to search, according to one’s role and competencies, for all the possible solutions to sustain and grow the sector’s culture and the sector itself. This topic illustrates, through diversity, the concept of social equality and through the principle of subsidiarity, expresses the ethical concept of reciprocity. Social housing is a multidisciplinary topic which requires a global vision of all its components to be able to tackle it. This includes the ability to interpret and translate in project specifications the implicit and explicit needs of the final user. Those who approach the topic from a purely technical perspective reduce it to a single dimension which might take a speculative angle in contrast with social housing. Social housing aims at guaranteeing to all the access to a dignified life starting from the single urban unit of measure: the household. The lack of means to have a dignified life and accommodation is the source of that sufferance and conflict which we can see materialize in the social habitats where we all operate. Creating a context where people can have a home, a dignified life, work, study, gather, feel safe in their area and create an emotional link with their surrounding, is a means to create social progress levers for future generations. It also means creating communities that are linked by their sense of belonging. In the European scenario the current economic and financial crisis means that the demand for accomodation is frequently unmet in terms of accessibility and quality. Hence, operators in this sector must be well aware of demand evolution (not only in its quantitative data form) to be able to provide projects that respond to the implicit and explicit needs of the users. A part from knowing the facts related to social housing in the European Union, it is important that Member States confront each other on the basis of best practice projects. This will allow a better sharing of the ideas that have produced the best results and organization and business models that are exportable. In Europe, the diversity of project practices in each country can represent an endless source of inspiration for the realisation of the common strategic objectives described in the “EU 2020” agenda.