In the Netherlands, a new housing valuation system (WWS) will apply from 2024 to rental properties with a maximum rent of €1,100. This is the core of the proposal by Dutch Housing Minister De Jonge to regulate mid-market rents, which he presented on December 9, 2022. Housing Europe's member, AEDES has welcomed the proposal as "in the current housing shortage, it is necessary that we protect tenants against excessive rents" its chairman, says Martin van Rijn said. Martijn Eskinasi, a policy research manager from the Directorate-General of Housing and Construction in the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Netherlands explains more.

In November, our member, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Norway (NBBL) met Housing Europe's staff in Brussels for a face-to-face exchange from which we learnt about what is at stake for cooperatives in the north while we explained how EU legislation is directly impacting the EEA area.

The energy transition and its financing have become engrained in the daily activities of social housing providers. Public grants and revolving funds are central to the viability of sustainability plans and key in increasing housing affordability. The housing 2030 report collects some of the best practices in the sector. While grants and funds are tried-and-tested means to finance the energy transition, other sources of financing such as carbon credits or green bonds have drawn the attention of private investors. These investment vehicles tend to come together under the umbrella of Environmental Social and Governance financing, better known by its acronym: ESG. Alex Fernandez, a PhD Research student at TU Delft, currently doing an internship at Housing Europe, is telling us more below.