Exemplary Cases

Realising the right to housing – recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur

In 2019, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Ms. Leilani Farha, published detailed guidelines to help governments establish the right to adequate housing.

Austrian legislation and auditing of limited-profit housing

Most social housing providers across the UNECE region operate according to legislation which defines their mission, realm of operations and business conduct. Austria has a well-defined “cost rent”, limited-profit housing association (LPHA) system.

Social provider-led benchmarking and monitoring in The Netherlands

Good governance does not have to be a purely “top-down” exercise. Providers of social and affordable housing have always taken a strong role in innovation and improving their sector. 

Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia

The Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia is a public real estate fund. It was founded in 1991 to finance and implement a legislated national housing programme which operates on five-year cycles.

Public land ownership and leasing in Helsinki, Finland

The City of Helsinki adopted a long-term policy called “Home Town Helsinki” in 2016, to promote and deliver a well-balanced mix of housing to meet the different needs and life situations.

Soft urban renewal in Vienna, Austria

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive of the European Union

In 2010, EU has established a legislative framework that includes the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)[1] and the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Energy Performance Certificates

EPCs were introduced in 2002 in the framework of the European legislation as an integral part of EPBD. The ultimate goal of EPCs is to create a demand-driven market for energy efficiency in the building sector.

Social impact bonds – Finland, France and the Netherlands

Social impact bonds (SIBs) are used in very diverse contexts around the world and across social issues.

More Homes Scotland, Housing strategy

The successful Scottish housing strategy “More Homes Scotland”[1], was formulated in response to the region’s increasingly high affordable housing need. Annual targets for social and affordable housing were set and met through proactive strategic interventions.

Cooperation through the “Urban Agenda for the EU” Housing Partnership Action Plan

The Housing Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU used an evidence-based and consultative process, enhancing knowledge and promoting action to improve legal and financial conditions for EU cities to invest in new or renovated affordable housing.

Supervision of short-term rentals

Short-term letting (STL) has grown rapidly as new digital platforms have brought together local accommodation providers with the global tourism market. This has caused numerous problems for cities, their housing markets, and local residents. Indeed, a recent review by the OECD stated that: “the exponential growth in accommodation platforms such as Airbnb in many cities has contributed to a disruption of the local real-estate market.

Sozialgerechte Bodennutzung, “Socially Just Land Use” in the City of Munich, Germany

The City of Munich in Germany has adopted a long-term policy for the use of land that it owns.

Taxing vacant housing based on potential rental income in France

France has extensive experience[1] in developing and applying vacancy taxes, which encourage owners to reintroduce empty dwellings to the housing market in areas where there is unmet demand, in order to improve access, especially by low-income households.

Industry training strategies to implement energy renovation- Belgium, Austria and France

Long-term renovation strategies are currently being developed by several European countries, as encouraged by the EU Green Deal. Plans must not only alleviate energy poverty but also address the necessary skills and training of renovation professionals.

Dedicated tax increment financing (TIF) schemes in the United States

TIF is created through state legislation and local regulation which designates a specific geographic area as a special zone. These are economically distressed geographical areas and the TIF designation incentivizes redevelopment and revitalization.

Revolving funds and auctioning – Austria, Czechia, France, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia

Revolving funds are a strong catalyst of energy-efficiency renovation in several countries. While they function in different ways, the general idea is that they provide low-interest loans to qualified owners and developers constructing and/or renovating (affordable) housing units.

Klimaatakkord – Dutch national climate agreement

An example of a soft regulation is the Dutch National Climate Agreement – “Klimaatakkoord”.

UIA competition 1987

Scottish Social Housing Charter & Scottish Housing Regulator

In 2012 the Scottish Government established the Scottish Social Housing Charter, a series of outcomes and standards for all social landlords. The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) measures landlord performance against these, mainly through an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) submission.

Landsbyggefonden – a Danish national fund for non-profit housing

In Denmark social housing is a central part of Danish welfare society. It is non-profit and universal, to maintain a wide-spectrum tenant social mix for individual and societal benefit.

Tenant engagement in Germany

Many renovation projects have shown that tenants are often poorly engaged with renovation activities or are even misinformed about the planned works.

Taxing vacant housing based on value in Vancouver, Canada

As part of its 10-year housing strategy, the city of Vancouver established an Empty Homes Tax in 2017, applicable to homes vacant for more than six months that were not a principal residence.[1] 

The British Columbia Speculation and Vacancy Tax, Canada 

Set up in 2018, the British Columbia Speculation and Vacancy Tax[1] encourages the conversion of empty homes owned for speculative purposes by foreign corporations or individuals, into homes accessible for residents.

Île-de-France Public Property Establishment

THE ÎLE-DE-FRANCE PUBLIC PROPERTY ESTABLISHMENT (FRENCH: ETABLISSEMENT PUBLIC FONCIER – EPF) IS THE PUBLIC LAND BANKER FOR ÎLE-DE-FRANCE.

Rent Price Regulation Act – taking local action on prices

In 2020, the City of Barcelona introduced a new rent-setting system based on the concept of a reference rent. Rents of contracts entered into after 1995 must be lowered if they are above the reference rent level. The new law also covers non-rent service charges but does not cover dwellings built in the last three years, or social housing. 

Affordable Housing Supply Programme of Scotland

The Scottish Government in the United Kingdom has developed strong capabilities in needs-based strategic planning for housing grant allocation and delivery.

Supported self-management – Estonian cooperative apartment associations

In Estonia, as a result of mass privatizations of public housing stock in the early 1990s, 97 per cent of people own their own home. Most live in multi-dwelling apartment buildings, which are managed by cooperative-style apartment associations.

‘A financial system for the 21st century’ – United Nations Environment Programme inquiry

In 2015, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) conducted an extensive inquiry which examined how the financial system could contribute to achieving SDGs. It brought together practical examples of policy changes in banking, capital markets, insurance, and institutional investment from advanced and developing economies.

NWB Bank – The Dutch public investment bank

The NWB Bank (https://nwbbank.com/en) is a large Dutch public investment bank, set up in 1954.