Validating policies and business models for affordable and sustainable housing (Built4People Partnership)

This Destination targets the energy demand side, notably a more efficient use of energy in buildings and industry. It contributes to the activities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and its implementation working groups.

This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘Green transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way’.

The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:

Highly energy-efficient and climate neutral European building stock

1. The energy performance of the European building stock is improved at an accelerated pace, contributing to the EU's energy security, while the buildings and the built environment have reduced climate and environmental impact throughout their life cycle.
2. The energy renovation and construction of buildings are cost-efficient, affordable and less disruptive.
3. The buildings are increasingly interacting with the users, energy system and their environment while operating in an integrated, resilient, secure, smart and flexible manner.
4. The buildings and the built environment are more climate resilient, accessible, inclusive and delivers multiple benefits which improve the quality of life, health and well-being for all users.

Industry

1. The energy efficiency of EU energy intensive industries is improved, their consumption of fossil fuel and their GHG and other pollutants emissions are drastically reduced, notably through cost-effective electrification, use of renewable energy, heat recovery, thereby preserving / enhancing their global competitiveness.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Better understanding of the factors and interdependencies that influence levels of renovation of rental properties in the affordable housing sector;
• Increased number of policy makers revise policies, regulations, instruments and business models to increase the rate of renovation of rental properties in the affordable housing sector.

Scope:

The Renovation Wave strategy sets out measures across the whole renovation chain that aim to increase the rate and depth of renovations. One of the key principles for housing renovation towards 2030 and 2050 is affordability, i.e. making energy efficient, comfortable, healthy, sustainable and climate-resilient buildings widely available, in particular for medium and lower-income households and vulnerable people and areas. A better understanding of the impact of current policy frameworks on the affordable housing sector and on energy poverty is needed.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following:

• Research the effectiveness and implications of existing policies at different levels of governance (from local to European), regulations, support instruments and business models on the renovation and provision of rental properties in the affordable housing sector.
• Validate a methodology for comparing the affordability of different types of rented properties located in different local housing markets, with different climate conditions, and for different demographic groups, including those in a vulnerable situation;
• Design and validate new or improved solutions (policies, regulations, support instruments and/or business models) that improve affordability while still meeting decarbonisation targets for the housing sector. Quantify the effects of those solutions on the cost of a ‘deep renovation’ of rental properties in the affordable housing sector, considering the scale of the renovation (e.g. small multi-apartment buildings, large multi-apartment buildings; groups of buildings) and the type of governance and ownership models.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘People-centric sustainable built environment’ (Built4People). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to contribute to the objectives of Built4People, transfer knowledge to its network of innovation clusters^[1] and report on results in support of the monitoring of the Built4People KPIs.

Projects resulting from this topic are encouraged to share information, best practice, and results with the 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact'.

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[1] https://built4people.eu/nebula_project/