Following last year’s success with 30 participants from nine European countries, young housing professionals in the public, cooperative and social housing sector from all over Europe are invited to Germany for the second edition of a unique summer school. Five exciting and inspiring days are awaiting you in Bochum, located in the very heart of Europe.

Japan seems to be in a transitional period concerning its housing market. The increasing number of vacant homes and the need for a "safety net" for vulnerable citizens are posing demanding challenges to the authorities. A delegation from the Housing Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) visited Brussels last week to draw some inspiration from the way public, cooperative and social housing providers operate in Europe. As a follow up to a very interesting meeting between the delegation and Housing Europe Secretary General and Research Coordinator, Sorcha Edwards and Alice Pittini, we interviewed Mr. Kenji Hamamoto, Deputy Director at the Housing Bureau of the Ministry to know more about the housing reality in Japan.

Benefit to Society is a campaign to tackle negative stereotypes of people living in social housing. It unites 30 housing organisations across England.