Recently I met with the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations. The discussion revolved around changes in the social housing industry and what roles will change starting July 1st. The department within the Ministry focuses on the entire housing market including owner occupied housing, social housing and the private market. Both Roger and Simone work... Continue Reading →
The European Union, State Aid and Social Housing
I am now shifting to the Netherlands where I will spend some time with the Aedes Company. They provide both advocacy and training to social housing companies here in the Netherlands. While here, I will also visit with member companies to better understand Dutch social housing and the differences here compared to Germany and the... Continue Reading →
Social Housing in the Growth City of Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city without any particular focus on developing or providing social and affordable housing. Outside of the typical funding mechanisms available to those willing to develop affordable housing, the city has no real plan. Even without a a solid strategy, the city continues to develop a decent number of affordable units in comparision... Continue Reading →
Communism is Over- Now What?
Communism is over. Now what? I can imagine that is what the leaders of Estonia thought as the massive structural changes begin to take place in the country. Estonia more than many other former Warsaw Pact countries pulled this transformation off while maintain a steady increase in the quality of live for years on end. But,... Continue Reading →
Social Housing in Berlin: The Sexy City That is No Longer Poor
Berlin is known as a dynamic city with reasonable costs of living compared to other European capitals. Because of this reputation, Berlin’s population over the last decade grew while inflicting new pressures on the increasingly tight housing market. Once a city where a flat could be had for a few hundred euro’s a month is... Continue Reading →
Deliberate Civic Engagement: Are You Doing Enough?
My fellowship year has allowed me to participate in dozens of interesting meetings and programs. Recently a door opened that allowed me to observe an ongoing transatlantic dialog between Germany and the USA. Through connections at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Bundesinstitut fur Bau-Stadt und Raumforschung, I received an invitation to... Continue Reading →
Social Housing in Hamburg Part II:
Anyone who visited Hamburg knows it is a world class city. The city is bustling and the food, entertainment and nightlife are top notch. Like any great city, it is made by the people that live there. A city cannot reach its full potential without a diverse population. Different ages, income levels, races, ethnicities all... Continue Reading →
Colloquium “Housing in Berlin”/ Kolloquium “Wohnen in Berlin”
Worth looking at
*please scroll down for the call in German*
Call for participations
Supply of urban accommodation is becoming a major issue on city council agendas.
Also in Berlin, rising rents, new building projects, ecological challenges of urban development and the widespread tendency for living spaces to become divided and separated into areas defined by different social groups are all bringing new challenges. This phenomenon is not only a benchmark in several local government debates but also increasingly being taken up in various scientific studies. The research landscape is shaped by varying approaches of the different disciplines.
With the Interdisciplinary colloquium “Housing in Berlin“ we aim to foster on-going exchange between often disconnected approaches and reference points, quotations and opinions towards urban planning, architecture, the real estate and housing business, geography, social science and other disciplines. The goal of the colloquium is to develop an on-going interdisciplinary exchange on…
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Social Housing In Hamburg Part I
Hamburg growth in the 1980's was not as strong as other areas of Germany because of structural changes. Since the 90s, the picture has changed. With the unification of Germany, Hamburg made economic strides, especially in international trading and business. Hamburg is also seen as an attractive city independently of its development of knowledge and service centers.... Continue Reading →

