International Observatory on Social Housing
Examine the world of social housing from an international perspective.
I visited the city of Mannheim Germany in October to speak with both city officials and social housing staff about affordable housing in this mid-sized German city. I met with Arno Knobel who works for the city of Mannheim. He focuses his attention on strategic issues including urban renewal and long term planning. For instance... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
A question that needs to be asked by social housing providers both in the USA and Europe is what role do we take in regards to those who are completely homeless. At first thought, the answer seems simple. Social housing providers will do anything possible to help reduce the number of people who are homeless. ... Continue Reading →
Social Housing providers serve many different categories of adults and families. Two specific groups that we see in social housing are elderly and single mothers. These are two completely different groups with completely different problems. In the USA social housing system, many seniors end up in a combo building that houses both seniors and disabled. This... Continue Reading →
QA resident goes to Germany for fellowship By Sarah Radmer , Staff Reporter Tuesday, July 22, 2014 4:08 PM Joshua Crites (foreground) was in Hannover, Germany, two years ago for a three-week fellowship. He will travel to Hannover again next month for a 14-month fellowship. Photo courtesy of Joshua Crites Queen Anne’s Joshua Crites moved... Continue Reading →
International Observatory on Social Housing 