As Europe moves towards a fair energy transition, ensuring access to affordable, sustainable housing has never been more urgent. With the first-ever EU Commissioner for Housing, a dedicated Task Force within the European Commission, and the upcoming Affordable Housing Plan, housing policy is taking centre stage in Brussels.

In our first episode for 2025, we’re returning to a crucial question straight from the European Parliament: how can we achieve a fair energy transition while ensuring access to affordable, sustainable housing?

This episode explores the intersection of housing and climate policies, examining how initiatives like Fit for 55 and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive impact low-income households. Our guests, MEP Brigitte van der Berg, a leading voice in the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis, and Julien Dijol, Policy Director at Housing Europe, share insights on the financial and regulatory solutions needed to scale up sustainable housing across Europe.

As the voice of over 43,000 public, cooperative, and social housing providers in 31 countries, Housing Europe highlights the role of social and cooperative housing as a driver of innovation. One key example is syn.ikia, an EU-funded project developing plus-energy neighbourhoods—communities that generate more renewable energy than they consume.

Enjoy listening!

The syn.ikia project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 869918.