Over the last decade, hopeful homeowners and renters throughout Europe have dealt with rising costs and other pressures of the housing market. For cities, this raises urgent questions: How can cities make housing more affordable, inclusive and sustainable? How can local authorities respond to growing pressures of the housing markets while ensuring long-term affordability and quality of life for residents?
These pressures are at the heart of the next EU City Lab on Housing, taking place in Brussels (BE) on 15–16 October 2026. Co-organised by URBACT and the European Urban Initiative (EUI), the event will bring together city practitioners, housing experts, policymakers, housing providers, public authorities, financial institutions and European stakeholders to exchange experiences and explore practical responses to Europe’s housing challenges.
Read on to get familiar with the host city turning housing ambition into action.
State of the Union: housing as a strategic priority for Europe
Across Europe, access to a secure, decent and affordable home has been considered a right, tied to dignity and stability. Yet for many residents, this has become increasingly difficult, as rising costs, homelessness, poor housing conditions and pressure on local markets make housing one of the most urgent challenges European cities are facing.
With the introduction of the European Affordable Housing Plan in 2025, and the establishment of a dedicated Housing Task Force within the European Commission, there is now unprecedented momentum to address housing issues more systematically across Europe.
Yet while European frameworks define the broader ambitions, cities and regions remain the places where housing policies and regulations are implemented, tested and adapted to local realities and neighbourhood needs.
This is where programmes such as URBACT and EUI have played an important role, helping to bridge the gap between European ambition and concrete action on the ground. At a time when housing affordability is rising rapidly on political agendas in Europe, Brussels brings a useful local lens to this discussion.
Brussels-Capital Region: putting sustainable housing into practice
There is a distinct reason why Brussels was chosen as the host city for this critical thematic event. As a long-standing participant in both URBACT and EUI networks, the Brussels-Capital Region offers a profoundly relevant case study for European city practitioners.
In Brussels, housing policy is shaped by a compact but highly fragmented urban landscape. Brussels has successfully managed to combine strong public housing institutions with highly innovative collaborative and community-led housing models. Furthermore, the city is pioneering advanced regulatory instruments to address rent regulation and property vacancy, alongside ambitious adaptive reuse and energy transition strategies that align with broader climate objectives.
A cornerstone of the ‘EU City Lab experience’ is leaving the conference room to see innovation in action. For the EU City Lab on Housing, Brussels offers a setting where housing challenges and housing practice sit side by side. The event will also provide an opportunity to better understand emerging European frameworks.
Combining high-level European discussions with hands-on city exchanges, the 1.5-day programme will include round tables, thematic workshops, peer-learning sessions and study visits across Brussels. Participants will discover examples ranging from community-led and cooperative housing initiatives to renovation, adaptive reuse and new regulatory approaches shaping housing policy across European cities.
What will you learn in Brussels?
Beyond the Brussels context and European-wide plan, the EU City Lab will welcome an array of other European cities supported by URBACT and EUI to share their real-life success stories. The agenda is packed with interactive World Café sessions, expert roundtables, and exhibitions designed to build the capacity of public authorities.
Here are some of the agenda highlights you can look forward to:
1. Insights from European officials: On 15 October, participants will have the opportunity to hear a European keynote address framing the affordable housing challenge. This will be followed by a round table bringing together senior officials from different departments of the European Commission, including the recently established EC Housing Task Force, and city representatives (Barcelona, Brussels) for a direct exchange on implementation challenges and opportunities.
2. A discovery of the host city of Brussels’ housing policy landscape through site visits: During the afternoon of 15 October, participants will take part in parallel, site-based learning visits across Brussels. These visits will showcase representative housing projects, practical insights into how housing projects are financed, governed and implemented, in addition to lessons that can be transferred to other European cities.
Highlights of the inspiring Brussels case studies include:
- A visit of CALICO (Care and Living in Community), an innovative cooperative housing project originally funded by the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) programme and then transferred to five European cities through URBACT Innovation Transfer Network “Cities 4 Co-Housing”.
- Exploration of social housing renovation projects in Luttre, to discover the transformation of a former industrial site into social housing, illustrating Brussels’ affordable housing landscape.
- An urban walk from COLISO² - a large scale collaborative housing project - to the Marolles, combining the discovery of collaborative housing and social housing projects while showcasing Brussels’ diverse affordable housing approaches.
3. Workshops on hot trends and topics of housing policy across European cities: namely innovation though renovation, reuse and urban transformation; housing policy regulatory frameworks, including the recent State Aid package officially adopted by the EC in March 2026; short-term rentals and how to achieve balanced housing markets; and solutions to finance affordable housing for all. Featuring a rich panel of European city practitioners from Egaleo (GR), Fuenlabrada (ES), Garges-lès-gonnesse (FR), Tallinn (EE), Thessaloniki (EL), Barcelona (ES), Paris (FR), and Amsterdam (NL).
4. A focus on scaling and transferring innovative housing solutions: On 16 October, a round table discussion will focus on scaling up and transferring innovative housing solutions across European cities, in the framework of URBACT and EUI schemes and beyond - panel discussion featuring Getafe (ES), Brussels (BE), Jozsefvaros (HU), and Thessaloniki (EL).
For more information check the draft event programme.
Secure your spot at the next EU City Lab
The European housing crisis requires bold, actionable, and scalable solutions—and cities are leading the charge.
The EU City Lab on Housing (15-16 October 2026) will offer more than policy discussions. Join us in Brussels to discover inspiring initiatives from the Brussels-Capital Region, UBACT and EUI cities and exchange with leading urban practitioners from across Europe.
Whether your work focuses on social housing, housing finance, urban regeneration, regulation, land policy or community-led housing, the event offers a valuable opportunity to connect European policy debates with concrete local practice.
Make sure to register to secure your spot today! 👉 Register for the EU City Lab on Housing here
Stay tuned for more updates, agenda announcements, and insights from our participating cities. 👉 Explore previous and upcoming EU City Labs here
Visit the URBACT Knowledge Hub for the latest expert insights on adequate, affordable housing trends and issues in European cities.
