Across Europe, numerous funding opportunities made available by the European Investment Bank and the European Union—complemented by Structural Funds and national and local schemes—have the potential to address housing challenges. However, greater coherence across funding systems and alignment with national contexts remain essential.
In Budapest, Housing Europe and the MR Housing Fund are bringing together housing providers, financial institutions, public authorities, and academics to discuss current hurdles and opportunities in financing social and affordable housing.
While the workshop is organised in cooperation with the MR Housing Fund—also as an opportunity for them to benefit from peer-to-peer exchange—it aims to foster a broader reflection on key topics, including the development of sound governance frameworks for financing public, cooperative, and social housing providers, as well as the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the European Affordable Housing Plan (EAHP).
The discussions will be structured around two main themes. The first will explore different approaches to housing affordability across Europe, comparing how countries define, finance, and deliver public, cooperative, and social housing. By examining diverse national systems, the session will identify which principles and models could be relevant or adaptable to the Hungarian context, and what can realistically be transferred.
The second theme will focus on new EU financing opportunities under the European Affordable Housing Plan and the next MFF. In a context of limited public support and with the Recovery and Resilience Facility coming to an end, the discussion will look at how emerging EU instruments can be leveraged. It will provide concrete insights on how Hungarian housing providers and municipalities can prepare for the next funding period and make use of upcoming financing opportunities.
The workshop will also aim to identify practical solutions to overcome financing barriers, drawing on international experiences and supporting Hungarian stakeholders in strengthening their investment capacity and accelerating the delivery and renovation of affordable homes.
The event is part of Housing Europe’s Housing Finance Working Group, launched in June 2023 to support capacity building, peer exchange, and the development of sustainable housing ecosystems. Its activities also contribute to the objectives of the Liège Declaration (March 2024), which calls for a European platform for exchange on housing systems. Participation is by invitation only.