This is a research project focusing on the housing sector in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (ESEE) where for many years, housing has become increasingly unaffordable to a significant part of the population. In parallel, there is an increasing need for investment in sustainable housing solutions to address the climate crisis. Due to a lack of systematic public engagement in ESEE, the development of innovative housing solutions strongly relies on independent housing organizations. These organizations face important difficulties in accessing finance, mainly due to the risk-aversion of existing housing finance institutions in the region.

​

The research focuses on both EU and non-EU countries - 8 countries altogether, with 4 selected as core research countries, including Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia. Access to innovative forms of housing finance is quasi nonexistent in all target countries. We firmly believe that if patient or catalytic capital were to systematically endow the housing sector of the region, then this would allow new, innovative housing providers to consolidate their activities, meaning that the sector of permanently affordable housing - ranging from limited equity cooperative housing to more conventional forms of rental housing - can finally come to life and expand in this part of Europe. This, in turn, would mean access to housing for social groups currently excluded from the housing market.