ISHF2023 report: Established and emerging housing systems facing common challenges
The International Social Housing Festival - a celebration, protest, and movement
online, 4 July 2023 | Published in Future of the EU & Housing
After the 4th edition of the International Social Housing Festival, we can confidently say that ISHF has a bright future, becoming not just a celebration of housing models that deliver, a protest to house our society in dignity but also a movement with increasingly committed social and affordable housing providers, policymakers, urbanists, architects, activists, and researchers.
On 7-9 June 2023, more than 2,100 of them came from 82 countries to Barcelona to debate how established and recent housing systems are facing similar challenges. Over 200 organisations - many of which were Housing Europe members and partners - were deeply involved in the management of 30 side events, as well as 25 visits to exemplary public and cooperative housing, running 20 stands, and 6 exhibitions, all of that spread across the Catalan capital in 8 different venues. The ISHF 2023 local hosts, Barcelona City Council put together a fantastic edition.
"The most important thing is changing the paradigm and creating awareness about the importance of affordable housing because "social housing is key for a strong society and for municipalities to regain trust in democracy", the acting Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau said during the Festival kick-off.
"Nurture the network, preserve it, and co-create," Housing Europe's President, Bent Madsen underlined at the closing ceremony. He reminded about one of the core reasons why we organise the Festival - to make different society-led ideas meet learn and start working together, and reach out to one another once we go back to our offices.
The Festival is indeed a knowledge and solution finder, but also a platform to debate housing solutions with politicians, it is a birthplace of new partnerships, time for appraisal but also criticism, and very importantly, changing the public narrative.
We have compiled our favourite moments in a 60-page report.
Enjoy this very insightful and visual #ISHF2023 throwback!