Social housing is a vital tool in combating homelessness and countering the negative effects of housing financialisation. Unlike market-driven affordable housing, social housing is rooted in community values, prioritising human dignity, access to services, and social inclusion. However, its development is hindered by a lack of accessible, tailored financial products and an imbalanced regulatory framework that places undue burden on small ethical finance providers.

In its paper “From Assets to Access: Ethical Finance to Leverage Social Housing,” FEBEA outlines key challenges and policy recommendations to support the growth of social housing in Europe. The paper calls on EU policymakers—including the Commissioner for Energy and Housing, the European Commission’s cross-DG Project Group, and the HOUS Special Committee—to ensure financial inclusion, reform prudential regulation, and empower ethical financiers and social economy actors. The upcoming EIB platform and the Social Climate Fund are also urged to prioritise small, community-based providers to ensure housing remains a fundamental right, not a speculative asset.

Read the list of Recommendations published by FEBEA for Policy Makers

Download the Executive Summary of this Policy Paper.