Housing Rights Watch Expert Workshop: Finding real solutions to the housing crisis - 2014 Madrid, Spain

 

On 13 June 2014, Housing Rights Watch, along with Fondation Abbe Pierre and FEANTSA organized an expert workshop to talk about housing solutions for homeless people in Europe.

 

We brought a new set of potential allies together to talk about their own experiences, but more importantly to brainstorm innovative ideas.  How can we make more housing available for homeless people, for people who are most severely affected by the financial and housing crisis?  How can we free up social housing stock that needs to be renovated?  Can we convince banks and local authorities to open up the empty housing they hold to families who need it?  What regulations and policies are in place in Europe to ensure a healthy balance between homeownership and rental properties in the housing market?

 

The goal of the meeting was to find new partners and consider these questions from different perspectives.  We also found ourselves with a long list of interesting possibilities for future cooperation.

 

There is a clear demand to share information about different policies and practices – both from NGOs and policy-makers – with the goal of improving and increasing the stock of affordable housing.  We will use this website as a place to start considering these options and making plans together.

 

A more detailed report from the Expert Workshop will follow shortly, but in the meantime, please read the presentations and follow the links to the different examples that were discussed on 13 June.

 

For more information contact us at: Samara.Jones@feantsa.org

 

Samara Jones

Coordinator – Housing Rights Watch

Presentations:

Understanding the challenge: changing housing systems ‐ Christophe André, Senior Economist, OECD, France
Across Europe there have been momentous developments in housing finance in the past decade, including the securitisation of mortgages, reduced State spending, changing and enabling roles for States and other developments. Housing financing is a complex and international activity. This presentation by Christophe André of the OECD will provide the background context for possible innovative approaches to housing. To see the presentation click here

 

Spotlight on Spain
One of the countries that has suffered most acutely from the economic crisis and the housing crisis, Spain has staggering levels of unemployment and increasing homelessness – even amongst homeowners. Spanish organizations, especially FEANTSA members in the fePsh are working to address the needs of people and ensure human rights are not eclipsed.
Monitoring legal reforms and human rights in Spain following the housing crisis – Maria Segurado, Caritas Spain. To see the transcription of the presentation click here
Social movements in response to the crisis ‐ Carlos Macías Caparrós ‐ PAH – Platform of People affected by mortgages and foreclosures. To see the presentation click here

 

Working group: Changing public policies and regulations to make more housing possible
Nicolas Bernard, Université St Louis. To see the notes of the presentation click here

 

Group discussion on Community Land Trusts
Thomas Dawance, Community Land Trusts. To see the presentation click here

 

 

Subject: 
Discrimination
Evictions
Right to dignity
Squats and slums
Human rights
Quality of housing
Right to housing
Right to property

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