On 4 and 5 February 2014, the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management, in cooperation with UN-Habitat and the European Federation of Public, Cooperative & Social Housing (CECODHAS), held the workshop, “The Future of Social Housing: Environmental and Social Challenges and the Way Forward”.

Discussion focused on the impact of the global financial crisis on housing affordability, the responses of different governments, and ways to increase social housing. Among the questions discussed were: different concepts of social housing and how it is provided and financed; the improvement of social cohesion and living conditions; easing energy poverty; and the promotion of environmental sustainability. The workshop is a part of UNECE’s continued effort to improve access to social and energy-efficient housing in the region.

The workshop was an opportunity for stakeholders to examine current challenges and explore potential directions for the future of social housing in their countries and the UNECE region as a whole.