International Observatory on Social Housing
Examine the world of social housing from an international perspective.
I visited the German city of Kiel in late July of 2015. I met with Emily Sittel from the department of Housing and Social Help. Attending the meeting from the Ihre Forderbank was Imme Reiben-Mucha a specialist in real estate funding. We discussed the theme of social housing in the city of Kiel and how... Continue Reading →
We work extremely hard every day trying to not only house those who have the least but trying to improve their physical, psychological and economical prospects. The work is tiring, often thankless and in many instances does not offer much fruit for all of the work and effort put in. A former boss of mine... Continue Reading →
A year into working with social housing professionals in Germany, I can say there is a lot to be learned. I want to focus on something that Germany does extremely well which is training and developing young talent to take on the future responsibilities of running and operating different aspects of an industry. For our... Continue Reading →
The city of Leipzig is an interesting case study in rapid population decline, slow steady growth and change/maturation of the housing market. Leipzig as a city is becoming a sexy trend in many magazines and newspapers that claim it is now the place where people should be moving. Many citizens believe the press is nothing... Continue Reading →
The city of Bottrop in Germany is in transition. Located in the Ruhr area of Germany, Bottrop is also located in the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. Bottrop is one of the remaining cities in Germany that is actively producing coal. While that is set to change in 2019, the city is still dependant on the... Continue Reading →
Background: The Centraal Fonds Volkshuisvesting (CFV) is the regulating body for Dutch Social Housing. I spoke with Daphne Braal-Verhoog the Director and Geraldien Bruin Manager of the Department of Policy and Legal Counsel to discuss both their roles and the future of the housing industry in the Netherlands especially in light of the new rules.... Continue Reading →
Woonbond is a large tenants rights organization based in Amsterdam. The company considers itself the voice of renters from throughout the country. More than half of the residents in social housing are somehow connected to Woonbond through its membership and advocacy. That's more than 1.5 million members or 53% of all tenants in Holland. Woonbond’s... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
International Observatory on Social Housing 