Affordable Housing Initiative Days – Prague edition
18-11-2025Across Europe, the challenge of renovating millions of ageing homes is no longer just about insulation or new windows, we must roll our sleeves up and redo entire neighbourhoods. Policymakers are realising that change is faster and cheaper when it happens at the district level. Shared heating networks, renewable energy systems and common design standards can bring economies of scale that no single building project could match.
Yet the bigger the scale, the tougher the task. Coordinating local authorities, housing providers, investors and residents takes patience and trust. Financing remains a stumbling block, as upfront costs rise even when long-term savings are clear. The goal is not only lower emissions, but better places to live which translates into safer streets, warmer homes, stronger communities.
This seminar, part of the Affordable Housing Initiative Days, coordinated by Housing Europe, asks how Europe can move from promising pilots to large-scale, people-centred renovation. Speakers from Sweden to Slovakia will share lessons from their own districts — the wins, the trade-offs, the mistakes. Together, they’ll explore how policy, finance and design can align to make holistic renovation the new normal. Fixing buildings, it turns out, is really about rebuilding trust in the places we call home.
We have 80 spots available to welcome you in Prague on 18 November at Hotel Grandior. Register today to be part of the conversation.
The event is co-organised by Housing Europe, the European Builders Confederation, with the special participation and support of the EU-funded initiatives ARV and drOp.
PROGRAMME
18 November 2025, Grandior Hotel, Prague (Euforie room)
09:00 – Official Welcome
Marco Corradi, President, Housing Europe
Miriam Bellušová, Board Member, European Builders Confederation (Slovak Association of Construction Crafts SZZ)
09:15 – Setting the Stage
Joao Goncalves (Housing Europe)
PART 1 – Housing Strategies for Scale and Affordability
09:20 – Keynote: The Swedish experience. Ensuring Affordability at Scale
Insights and lessons from Sweden’s decades-long approach to housing policy, financing and management.
Current problems and ongoing responses.
Marten Lilja (Housing Expert)
09:35 – Panel: Recent Renovation Practices of Large Housing Estates in Baltic, Central and Eastern European countries
A deep dive into practical experiences, challenges, and latest outcomes from renovating large housing blocks and districts across the Baltic and CEE region.
Moderator: João Gonçalves (Housing Europe)
Panelists:
Anu Sarnet (Estonian Union of Co-Operative Housing Associations, EKYL)
Jana Kubankova (Czech Chamber of Architects)
Martha Giannakopoulou (European Urban Initiative Expert)
Q&A with the audience
Networking Coffee Break
PART 2 – Case Studies, Challenges & Way Forward
10:30 – Lighthouse District #1: The Karvina Project – the ARV holistic approach in Czechia
A concrete example of a holistic district renovation developed in the city of Karvina by the “ARV” partnership, which showcases the integration of energy, social, and community improvements.
Robert Wawerka (Czech Technical University in Prague)
Michael Sikora (City of Karvina)
10:45 – Lighthouse District #2: Ermua – the drOp lab for building trust with residents
In Ermua (Spain) the “Drop” consortium developed and tested their integrated renovation methodology aiming to transform social housing districts into inclusive sustainable neighbourhoods.
Andreea Nacu (Housing Europe)
11:00 – Fireside Chat: What Is Lacking at the Local Level to Bring About the Desired Projects
An informal discussion on the needs and critical gaps the Affordable Housing Initiative pioneers are facing in their pathway to deliver successful holistic projects.
Moderator: Margherita Marinelli, Housing Europe
Panelists:
Franco Amigoni (Town of Fidenza)
David McCourt (Cooperative Housing Ireland)
Farne Conway (new City XXI near Kyiv, Ukraine)
Networking Coffee Break
11:45 – Response from the stakeholders: breaking down barriers to scaling up
Their response to the policy, financial, and technical hurdles identified and faced by local promoters.
Panelists:
Matthew Baldwin (European Commission’s Housing Task Force)
Miriam Bellušová, Board Member, European Builders Confederation (Slovak Association of Construction Crafts SZZ)
Bernd Riesland (Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations)
Michael Sikora (City of Karvina)
Angeliki Konstantinopoulou (Sustainable Energy Finance Association)
12:30 – Interactive Q&A
An open forum for the audience to ask questions to the stakeholders.
12:45 – Takeaways and Closing Remarks
Sorcha Edwards (Housing Europe)
The day will continue with a pitching session which is invitation-only.
Pioneers pitch projects to investors and financial experts
Hotel Grandior, Conference Room and Classroom
14:00 – Welcome and rule setting
14:10 – Presentation from pioneers, feedback, and Q&A
17:00 – Conclusion
The AHI Days are the opportunities to showcase great examples from the sector and elicit discussion across the board on the ways to expand those. The programme is quite multifaceted to accommodate different learning and networking opportunities, encompassing workshops and seminars (open to the public), study visits, and one-on-one organised meetings between practitioners (1 on 1). The events are organised across Europe in Dublin (June 4th and 5th 2025), Prague (November 18th and 19th 2025) and a city to be confirmed (June 2026).
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