Ongoing research projects

Thematic briefings

From 2008, the Observatory is launching a series of thematic briefings. The Observatory briefings represent a new line of work aimed at providing a snapshot of key issues for the housing sector throughout the EU, in the form of short reviews of  recent  literature and statistics on selected topics.

 

Completed research projects

Second CECODHAS General Survey (2008)

Starting date: March 2008
Launch of final report: November 2008

Following the first CECODHAS General Survey  carried out  in 2005, the second edition  of this survey aims at monitoring the developments within the social housing sector as represented by CECODHAS member organisations in the European Union. The survey will provide up-to -date information on the size, fields of activity, and characteristics of tenants of the social housing organisations represented by the national and regional federations which are members of CECODHAS.  The survey report was launched in November 2008, and it's now available for CECODHAS members.

Research project ‘Management of social housing undertakings in the European Union: Strategies and innovative approaches’

Starting date: September 2006
Launch of final report: November 2007

The CECODHAS Observatory and the Finnish member organisation of CECODHAS – VVO - have recently conducted the research project ‘Management of social housing undertakings in the European Union: strategies and innovative approaches’. The study aims to identify key developments in management strategies that social housing organisations across the EU are putting in place to respond to the rapidly changing social, political and economic context. This practice-oriented study seeks to identify key challenges, strategies and innovative approaches in this field aimed at meeting multiple objectives, both social and economic. It is expected that the study will provide valuable lessons and examples for social housing organisations at large and especially for the members of CECODHAS.  The research comprises a survey conducted amongst over 40 social housing organisations and an in-depth study of 6 organisations selected out of these 40 involving face to face interviews and technical visits to social housing projects.  The CECODHAS Observatory and VVO presented preliminary results at the General Assembly meeting of CECODHAS to be held in Vienna in June 2007.  The final report was published in the very beginning of November 2007.

Research project ‘Housing Europe 2007. European Review of Social, Co-operative and Public Housing in the 27 EU member states’

Starting date: February 2007
Launch of final report: October 2007 

The European Social Housing Observatory at CECODHAS has developed a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the social, co-operative and pubic housing sector in the 27 EU member states, which includes reliable figures backed by an in-depth and accurate depiction of policies and trends. The need for such a study arised from the acknowledgment of a lack of systematic and comprehensive monitoring of social housing at a European level, causing a vacuum of reliable and up-to-date data on the sector which does not allow for evidence-based policy and practice. The first issue of this review will be launched in October 2007 at the CECODHAS meetings to be held in Portugal.

Study “Social Housing and integration of immigrants in the European Union: Tools for social housing providers”

Starting date: November 2005
Launch of report: September 2007

Social housing organisations accommodate large numbers of immigrants and ethnic minority groups in most European countries. For this reason they are at the frontline in the implementation of integration policies and programmes.  Through its sub-group on integration of immigrants, CECODHAS working group on Social Policies has identified the need to understand the main problems facing tenants and social housing providers in the effort to contribute to greater integration.  Within this remit, the European Social Housing Observatory has contributed to the work of this sub-group with the abovementioned study. Its aim was to provide the sub-group with the conceptual and methodological tools to understand the main debates and policy frameworks that determine the integration of immigrants and ethnic minorities across Europe. Ultimately, the report proposes a set of recommendations for the sub-group to select good practices in the field.  The final report has been presented at the CECODHAS General Assembly meeting in Vienna in early June 2007, and has been launched at the Seminar on Social Housing and Integration of immigrants organised by the sub-group and held in Barcelona on the 21st of September 2007. You can download the special issue of the CECODHAS Exchange which contains the report on immigrants and housing from here.

Starting date: April 2006
Ending date: June 2007

Following a call for tender by the European Commissions’ DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, a consortium led by the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research is carrying out a study on the situation of social and health services of general interest in the European Union which aims at the improvement of the knowledge of both operators and the Commission of the situation of social and health services of general interest in the EU and the application and impact of Community rules on the development of these services. The results of this study should guide the European Commission in the establishing of a monitoring and dialogue tool in the form of biennial reports. The European Social Housing Observatory takes part at this study as Sectoral expert on social housing. The Observatory’s report lays out the situation on social housing in the EU, and focuses on the social housing sector in five countries: France, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and the Czech Republic. The draft report was presented by the Observatory at the Internal Market Working Group meeting of CECODHAS on the 1st of March this year. The final version was incorporated in the SHSGI report and submitted to the Commission in June 2007. The final report in English (with an executive and a more comprehensive summary in English, French and German) is expected to be presented and discussed at a conference organised by the Research consortium in 2007.

Study ‘CECODHAS General Survey 2005’

Starting date: July 2005
Ending date: June 2006

This survey has been the first ever attempt to characterise the social housing sector as represented by CECODHAS member organisations in the European Union. Its purpose was to collect reliable and up-to-date data about the size, composition, field of activity and profile of the tenants of the social housing organisations represented by the national and regional federations which are members of CECODHAS. The data gathered through the survey was collected by means of a questionnaire designed by CECODHAS Observatory and sent by email to CECODHAS member organisations in July 2005. The draft final report was presented to CECODHAS members at the General Assembly Meeting of CECODHAS in the beginning of June 2006. The final report of this census is available upon request from the Observatory.

Study ‘Social Housing in the EU: Time for legal certainty for local authorities, social housing providers and millions of European households’

Starting date: January 2005
Ending date: March 2005

The report, which was presented to the European Commission, outlines the key findings of the survey "Social housing and services of General Economic Interest in the EU" conducted by the European Social Housing Observatory amongst CECODHAS members in January 2005. The report is available from the Observatory upon request.