November 18, 2025
Prague, Czech Republic

The president of the Association EPEKA, a social enterprise, Štefan Simončič, will attend in Prague the “Affordable Housing Initiative Days – Prague edition”.

Across Europe, the challenge of renovating millions of ageing homes is no longer just about insulation or new windows, we must roll our sleeves up and redo entire neighbourhoods. Policymakers are realising that change is faster and cheaper when it happens at the district level. Shared heating networks, renewable energy systems and common design standards can bring economies of scale that no single building project could match.

Yet the bigger the scale, the tougher the task. Coordinating local authorities, housing providers, investors and residents takes patience and trust. Financing remains a stumbling block, as upfront costs rise even when long-term savings are clear. The goal is not only lower emissions, but better places to live which translates into safer streets, warmer homes, stronger communities.

This seminar, part of the Affordable Housing Initiative Days, coordinated by Housing Europe, asks how Europe can move from promising pilots to large-scale, people-centred renovation. Speakers from Sweden to Slovakia will share lessons from their own districts — the wins, the trade-offs, the mistakes. Together, they’ll explore how policy, finance and design can align to make holistic renovation the new normal. Fixing buildings, it turns out, is really about rebuilding trust in the places we call home.

PROGRAMME

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