On 17 September Housing Europe research director was invited to contribute to a European Economic and Social Committee hearing reflecting on how the European Affordable Housing Plan can deliver inclusion and accessibility in housing.
From the point of view of housing providers, the physical accessibility of housing is a key starting point. Studies suggest that 70–80% of all existing housing stock is unsuitable for independent living for people with mobility issues, and while new buildings have standards to comply with that should guarantee accessibility, the bulk of the problem lies in how to intervene on existing buildings.
Furthermore residents of social, cooperative and public housing are on average older, with lower incomes and more complex housing needs than in the other segments of the housing market and they need homes that are good quality and they can afford. Therefore investing in strengthening the public investment in social, cooperative and public housing is key to achieve better outcomes in terms of inclusion.
But that’s not all. Accessibility should also be considered in terms of all measures and services that can help independent living – including digital tools, collaboration between housing providers and service providers, and the creation of communities that support social inclusion. This is the approach promoted by the Erasmus+ project Housing Solutions for Independent Living (HS4IL) of which Housing Europe is partner https://hs4il.eu/
Report on the hearing available at https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/news-media/news/affordable-housing-eu-towards-inclusion-and-accessibility-all