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Four reasons why shrinking areas are ripe for innovative housing solutions

Housing has different functions for different groups of people: it provides a home for residents and work for builders and planners. It is a considerable economic burden for some and a source of wealth, status, profit or authority for others. Housing is a social right according to various international and European treaties that have been used for decades by supranational courts to set legal standards. Respecting the right to housing is no longer a political choice but a legal obligation. Housing is a key component of territorial and urban policies – something that should be considered when speaking about any kind of housing solutions. The growing imbalance between supply and demand of a

Europe needs innovative financing to secure affordable housing

Not all housing crises in Europe are equal. For example, in Serbia 29% of households spend more than 40% of their disposable income on housing – this compares to an already-burdensome average of 11% across the EU-28. But within the European Union, there are vast disparities: the EU country with the highest number of households above the common 40% marker of overburden for housing costs is Greece, at 41%; at 1.1%, Malta has the lowest number of households struggling to pay for their housing. The discrepancies can also be measured over time and across demographic groups. The 2008 economic and financial crisis has aggravated the burden disproportionately on the poor: in Croatia, Greece and