The transition towards affordable and climate-resilient housing requires overcoming the fragmentation between energy and social policies. An event led by European projects explores how citizen participation can strengthen local action to address climate change and inequality.
Growing pressure on access to affordable housing coincides with increasing climate risks, highlighting the need to integrate energy, social and housing policies. This was the main message of a seminar organised by the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP) and several European projects during the EU Sustainable Energy Days, whose conclusions emphasise that energy efficiency, climate resilience and social inclusion must be addressed together.
The discussion focused on the role of local and regional authorities, which are simultaneously facing rising temperatures, energy poverty and housing inequalities. Participants stressed that policies developed with citizen participation make it easier to identify the needs of the most vulnerable groups and support solutions that are both more effective and more widely accepted.
The experience of European initiatives such as HouseInc, PREFIGURE, EqualHouse and ReHousIn shows that combining participatory governance, institutional coordination and local action is essential to translate European strategies into concrete measures that promote housing that is more affordable, energy efficient and better prepared for climate change.
