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As housing finally rises on the EU’s political agenda, one question remains largely unanswered: where do Europe’s most marginalised communities – especially Roma – fit into the European affordable housing agenda?

For decades, housing sat at the margins of EU policy, constrained by Treaty limits and fragmented national competences. That era is ending. Today, housing affordability, availability, and adequacy are discussed at the highest political levels, with new initiatives, task forces, and funding debates underway. This is a welcome shift, but it also creates a responsibility: when the EU sets the direction, it must ensure no one is left behind. At present, Roma housing risks being exactly that: left behind.

This year, employees of Georg Fischer in Loosdorf, Austria, will once again lace up their walking shoes for a cause that reaches far beyond the trail ahead of them. On 11 June 2026, as part of the global GF Walk for Water 2026 initiative, colleagues, partners, and supporters will come together in a powerful expression of solidarity — raising awareness and funds to help families gain access to something many of us take for granted every day: safe water, sanitation, and a healthy place to call home.

Europe Housing Day is Habitat for Humanity’s annual event focused on the future of housing in Europe. This year, we will explore how to unlock EU funding and private finance in the next MFF to help make housing more affordable, how to reduce energy poverty through energy-efficient apartment buildings, and what role vacant buildings can play in improving affordability and scaling up housing supply. Join us!

Across Africa, millions of families living in informal settlements face growing climate risks, including floods, extreme heat, storms and other climate-related shocks. 

As governments and development partners seek scalable solutions, the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (BCRUP) Programme is emerging as a landmark initiative to strengthen resilience in some of the continent’s most vulnerable urban communities. 

The housing crisis and environmental sustainability are two of the most pressing challenges of our time. But what if we could address both simultaneously? That’s the bold vision behind Empty Spaces to Homes project, an innovative initiative launched in January 2024. Led by Habitat for Humanity International and funded by the Laudes Foundation, this initiative is transforming vacant and underutilized spaces in Poland, Great Briatin, Hungary, and Croatia into affordable, energy-efficient homes.

Croatia is facing a paradox: while housing costs are rising and many young people are locked out of the rental and ownership markets, nearly a third of all homes meant for permanent residence sit empty. This contrast lies at the heart of a new research report on the country’s housing landscape—one that uncovers not just the challenges, but the untapped opportunities for creating more inclusive, sustainable communities.

Hungary’s housing landscape presents a striking contradiction. Despite a growing number of dwellings—over 4.5 million—more than 570,000 stand vacant, while nearly 3 million people struggle with housing poverty. At the same time, the country’s population continues to shrink, creating a disconnect between where homes exist and where they’re needed most. A new research study from Habitat for Humanity Hungary takes a deep dive into this complex picture, offering an eye-opening look at how a more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable housing future might be built—quite literally—out of empty spaces.

BRUSSELS, 10 April, 2024 – A new project has launched to respond to sluggish renovation rates of residential buildings and high energy poverty levels in Central and Eastern Europe by empowering local communities and developing Neighourhood Energy Sufficiency Roadmaps.

ATLANTA, GA (April 26, 2024) — Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, has co-signed a letter with InterAction, a leading alliance of NGOs and partners in the United States, and 50 other member CEOs, urging President Biden to take decisive and actionable steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

NAIROBI (April, 2024) - Britam General Insurance and Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) – Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tackle the low market penetration of property insurance, which currently stands at 0.5%. It is estimated that one third of Kenyans are at heightened risk of property loss.