At the Conference of the Isles 2009, organised by the University of Ulster in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing, on the 7th and 8th of May, UK memebrs of CECODHAS  launched their joint manifesto for the European elections.The Four Federations, which include Community Housing Cymru, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations and the National Housing Federation represent housing associations in their respective UK territory.

Their joint “asks” from candidates in the European elections include:
→ Measures to support social housing’s role as a driver to environmental sustainability and economic recovery (such as fiscal incentives (0%) on green products and services and the use of European structural funds for energy efficient refurbishment of existing homes).
→ Policies that uphold social housing’s role as a prerequisite for social and territorial cohesion (such as using 2010, European year of combating poverty and social exclusion to make access to decent and affordable housing a priority).
→ Recognition of the role that social enterprises, including housing providers, play in the European economy and protection of their structures and the services they provide from EU competition rules.