Social housing, affordability, sustainability and liveability were among the topics discussed at the meeting point on housing organised by ULI Austria and Habitat for Humanity EMEA, and hosted by the leading Austrian law firm CHSH and its senior partner Dr. Benedikt Spiegelfeld on 12 October 2015 in Vienna. More than 150 representatives from leading Austrian and international real estate, law and financial companies attended.

Dr. Wolfgang Amann, from the Institute for Real Estate, Construction and Housing presented highlights from the upcoming Habitat for Humanity Housing Review 2015. The study analyses housing conditions and policies in 15 countries of Europe and Central Asia and looks at housing problems across Europe through the themes of affordability – getting people into homes, sustainability – keeping people in homes and liveability – creating communities of the future. The report will be launched at Habitat for Humanity’s 3rd Housing Forum on November 18, 2015 in Berlin, Germany.

The panel discussion that followed the presentation was chaired by Deepali Sood from Habitat for Humanity and included Dr. Amann; Dr. Spiegelfeld; Valerie Morrica of the World Bank; Dr. Reinhard Krepler, president of the Vienna Red Cross; and Georg Flödl, president of the Austrian Real Estate Association. The panellists talked about the urgent need to make housing available given the current refugee situation and ways to make housing affordable and sustainable.

This post has been adapted with permission from an article on the Habitat for Humanity website.  Please click here to see the original article.