by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Cristina Amirante, FVG councilor for territorial policies; Marco Buttieri; President of FEDERCASA, Italy; Daniele Mosetti, President of ATER Trieste
More than 100 representatives from public institutions, housing agencies, financial organizations and policy groups from across Europe gathered in Trieste on Thursday for Housing Europe’s annual conference, titled “From West to East: Building a Brighter Housing Future.”
The event, held at the Teatro Verdi, was organized by Housing Europe, the European federation of public, cooperative and social housing providers, in partnership with Federcasa and ATER Trieste, with support from the City of Trieste and the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government.
Participants from countries including Italy, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Poland and Ukraine discussed some of the continent’s most pressing housing challenges, including affordability, urban regeneration, energy-efficient renovation of public housing, the reuse of vacant properties and long-term financing for social housing.
Speakers also examined the role of housing policy in promoting social cohesion and economic stability across Europe.
Daniele Mosetti, president of ATER Trieste, highlighted the city’s role as a meeting point between different cultures and economies and said European cooperation would be essential in addressing the housing crisis.
“The challenges we face, from housing affordability to energy sustainability, cannot be addressed by individual countries alone,” Mr. Mosetti said. “Stronger European cooperation and long-term public investment are needed.”
Discussions also focused on the proposed European Affordable Housing Plan, the role of the European Investment Bank and financial mechanisms to support public and social housing projects over the long term.
Additional sessions addressed the energy transition, efforts to reduce emissions in the housing sector and measures to protect vulnerable households from rising energy costs through renovation programs and local energy production initiatives.
The conference also included discussions on Ukraine’s reconstruction and the potential contribution of European public and cooperative housing models to rebuilding communities affected by the war.
