Category: Social Programs

Education Programs and Social Housing in and Around Seattle

A coffee and pitch session brought together dozens of housing professionals from countries around the world.  During the collaborative housing program, I spoke about several dynamic and innovative programs taking place with the Seattle and Puget Sound Region.  The audience watched a video by the Urban Institute about the Tacoma Housing Authority’s McCarver Program before… Read More Education Programs and Social Housing in and Around Seattle

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Creating a Strong Social Mix in Milan, Italy

Maria Chiara Cela, from Societa cooperative, Milan spoke about a project where they renovated 180 empty apartments in the Milan area.  These were apartments that agencies around the area did not have money to renovate or fix.  The co-operative fixed these houses and then housed migrants from 26 different countries.   Their agency is working very… Read More Creating a Strong Social Mix in Milan, Italy

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Tenant Boards in Denmark: Best Practices in Supporting Tenant’s Diverse Needs

One of the key themes of this housing festival is diversity in tenant needs.  It is hard to imagine a better example of responsiveness to tenant needs than what is taking place in Copenhagen. Ulia Gregor works for DAB, an organization that houses many citizens across Copenhagen.  In fact, her organization has over 50,000 units.  The speaker… Read More Tenant Boards in Denmark: Best Practices in Supporting Tenant’s Diverse Needs

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Getting associations closer to their tenants: an afternoon at Zig’s housing hackathon

The hot sun beams down on the Westergasfabriek complex, still bustling with families, couples and friends, chatting and drinking, taking in the last of this fine afternoon. But these people are missing out on the main attraction here at the Werkkamer, hinted at only by a banner and a flurry of activity at its front… Read More Getting associations closer to their tenants: an afternoon at Zig’s housing hackathon

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Solidarity, social housing, and… swimming pools!

France is a country with a large social housing sector that secures the right to a decent home for millions, its ubiquity, importance and centrality to national debates creating a cultural imagining– not always positive– of French social housing that permeates beyond the bounds of the national. From l’ Union Sociale pour l’ Habitat is… Read More Solidarity, social housing, and… swimming pools!

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Jan Latten points out that loneliness amongst elderly is a key issue.

This article is provided by Aedes-Actiz Kenniscentrum Wonen Zorg and edited by the ISHF team. “The new townspeople will be old”, says Professor Jan Latten, Professor of Social Demography at the University of Amsterdam. “It’s not so much that the elderly go to the city en masse, but that people stay in the city and grow… Read More Jan Latten points out that loneliness amongst elderly is a key issue.

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‘I am always happy to meet people who are also crazy about older people’

With so many important and headline-grabbing challenges such as crime, migration and climate change facing cities, it is often easy to forget that, in many places, the ageing profile of city-dwellers is a challenge that is as urgent and deserving of immediate action as any of the above. Aedes-Actiz KCWZ’s Yvonne Witter is on board to… Read More ‘I am always happy to meet people who are also crazy about older people’

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Opening minds through an European exchange of knowledge

Egbert de Vries of Amsterdamse Federatie van Woningcorporaties, founding partner of the ISHF, discusses the past and present of social housing in the Netherlands and points towards the importance of a European exchange of knowledge. Article by Alix Glodstein, ISHF team What is AFWC? Why should people know about your organization? AFWC represents all social housing… Read More Opening minds through an European exchange of knowledge

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How the Dutch Lead the Way in Senior Housing Innovation

In my short career in social housing, I have noticed that many programs revolve around helping work able households improve self-sufficiency. There is a national program (FSS) just to do that in coordination with housing programs. However; housing providers often serve a large number of senior and disabled households. While there are a number of great examples… Read More How the Dutch Lead the Way in Senior Housing Innovation

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