On 21–22 October 2026, we gathered in Bilbao, Spain, for our Annual Conference and General Assembly, kindly hosted by our member OAL Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao. The event brought us together to exchange experiences on affordable housing, reflect on our shared challenges and celebrate 20 years of Eurhonet.

Affordable housing: balancing renovation, sustainability and Social Equity

How can we renovate ageing housing stock while keeping homes affordable and ensuring that no one is left behind? This question guided the discussions during the first day of our conference, under the theme Affordable Housing: Balancing Renovation, Sustainability and Social Equity.

We started with a warm welcome from representatives of Bilbao City Council and Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao, alongside Marco Corradi, President of Housing Europe, and Antonio Parolini, President of Eurhonet. Íñigo Villarroya Lozón, CEO of Viviendas Municipales de Bilbao, then introduced us to the local housing context and Bilbao’s approach to renovating its ageing housing stock, preserving affordability and responding to changing housing needs.

Exploring Europe’s affordable housing challenges

Throughout the morning, we explored three key perspectives:

• European affordability challenges: Austria’s cost-rent model and the importance of long-term financial sustainability, introduced by Bernd Riessland, Scientific Advisory at the Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations (GBV).
• Energy efficiency and utility consumption: EU decarbonisation policies, renovation costs and the social dimension of climate adaptation, presented by Sorcha Edwards, Secretary General at Housing Europe.
• New accommodation models: Innovative housing solutions, the diversification of social housing residents’ profiles and housing mobility strategies, introduced by Núria Gambea Llop, Legal advisory and housing technical specialist at SMHAUSA.

Sharing innovative practices in social and public housing

We also discovered inspiring best practices from four of our members: Familjebostäder‘s reuse hub for surplus materials, Uppsalahem‘s long-term energy efficiency strategy, Batigère Habitat‘s housing pathways and ARTE Imperia‘s transitional co-housing solutions.

Discovering urban regeneration in Bilbao’s Otxarkoaga district

In the afternoon, we visited the Otxarkoaga district to learn more about Bilbao’s approach to urban regeneration and neighbourhood rehabilitation.

Celebrating 20 years of exchanging, learning and growing together

For two decades, we have brought together public and social housing providers from across Europe to exchange knowledge, share experiences and learn from one another.

To celebrate this journey, we officially presented our 20th anniversary publication, which looks back at the development of our network, highlighting our achievements and bringing together the voices of the people and organisations that have made Eurhonet what it is today.

The publication is both a celebration of what we have achieved together and a reminder of the value of collaboration as we continue to address shared housing challenges.

A big thank you to our hosts, speakers and members for making this year’s gathering another valuable opportunity to learn, exchange and collaborate.

Here’s to 20 years, and to many more!