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Regional and local expertise, exchange �and engagement for enhanced social cohesion in Europe

Briefing

on housing inclusion

www.includeu.eu

includeu@iom.int

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GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Includ-EU aims to contribute to building more inclusive

and cohesive European societies by enhancing transnational knowledge and experience sharing, cooperation and

partnerships between local and regional authorities from

Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Improving knowledge and capacity of local and regional authorities to facilitate the integration of third-country nationals.

PILOT PROJECT

Implementing and assessing pilot projects that promote the integration of third-country nationals at regional and local level.

REGIONAL EXCHANGE

Fostering regional exchange on integration policy and practice between EU regional and local authorities with different levels of expertise.

Includ-EU general information

PROJECT DURATION

36 months

TARGET COUNTRIES

Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania,

Slovenia and Spain

PARTNERS

AER, ANCI Toscana, Region of Crete, City of Tilburg, Department of Equality and Feminism of Catalonia.

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How can we improve access to adequate and affordable housing for Third Country Nationals (TCNs)?

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Analyse the housing context for TCNs in 6 EU countries and implications for their integration.

Learn about innovative good practices contributing to TCNs housing inclusion in Includ-EU countries.

Define policy recommendations for more holistic housing policies for migrants in the EU.

Objectives

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Access to adequate housing is increasingly challenging for people living in the EU.
TCNs are particularly overburdened by housing costs and struggle to access the real estate market due to increasing unaffordability, discrimination, and barriers to service access.

Develop measures that promote housing inclusion and contrast inequalities in this field.

Key findings

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Promoting more inclusive housing policies

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Ensuring financial and material support

Promoting more inclusive housing policies

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2

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Developing trust-based housing networks

Supporting collaborative housing solutions

Contributing to urban regeneration

Addressing special needs

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1. Ensuring financial and material support

Financial support remains a necessary tool to meet installation costs and secure apartments for rent, particularly in urban areas.
Multilevel partnerships to:

offer temporary accommodation;
provide tools to approach the private real estate market or public housing.

A holistic approach:

job placement, access to services, including healthcare and legal counselling, language training and mediation services.

Promoting more inclusive housing policies

The transition from accommodation in reception facilities to private or public housing is a key step in the integration process and one where obstacles for newcomers sum up to other existing housing challenges existing at the national level.

To address these challenges and prevent housing exploitation, deprivation, and homelessness, multilevel partnerships have been put in place to offer temporary accommodation when needed, provide tools to approach the private real estate market or public housing, and support the search of a new home through meditation services. In most cases, financial support remains a necessary tool to meet installation costs and secure apartments for rent, particularly in urban areas.

The examples that follow show how it is crucial to take a holistic approach to housing integration that also combines measures in other areas of integration policy. Significantly, measures to promote full housing autonomy come with a set of other initiatives regarding job placement, access to services, including healthcare and legal counselling, language training and mediation services.

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Example 1: Greece – Promoting independent living through housing services

HELIOS is a pilot integration project that aims to support beneficiaries of international protection in their way towards integration.

Rental subsidies, integration courses, employment support, language training, integration monitoring, and sensibilization of the host community.

HELIOS is implemented by IOM and its partners with the support of the Greek government.

The role of regional and local authorities

HELIOS is a pilot integration project that aims to support beneficiaries of international protection in their way towards integration into Greek society.

The project offers services that promote independent living, including rental subsidies, integration courses, employment support, language training, integration monitoring, and sensibilization of the host community.

HELIOS is implemented by the IOM and its partners with the support of the Greek government and is funded by the Directorate-general of the European Commission for Migration and Home Affairs.

Regional and local authorities play a vital role in HELIOS. Some are partners in the project, provide the facilities for the local Integration Learning Centres, cooperate with IOM and other partners such as the Municipality Development Agency Thessaloniki S.A (MDAT), the Regional Development Agency PLOIGOS of Crete and the Public benefit agency of the Municipality of Livadeia KEDHL. Other regional and municipal authorities organize urban working groups on integration to exchange best practices and experiences. The Migrant Integration Councils liase with refuges and promote project activities.

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Example 2: Lucca’s House Agency – Matching supply and demand on the housing market

Established in 1998 by the Municipalities of Lucca and Capannori upon Tuscany Region’s initiative.
Offer housing support services to TCNs and Italian families facing housing difficulties.

Matching supply and demand on the private market.

The municipalities involved finance a guarantee fund and a management fund.
Trade unions are also part of the project’s network.

Agenzia Casa was established in 1998 by the Municipalities of Lucca and Capannori upon Tuscany Region’s initiative and it is managed and funded by Fondazione Casa Lucca, created in 2007 by the same entities.

The goal of Agenzia Casa is to offer housing support services to TCNs, including those exiting reception facilities, and Italian families facing housing difficulties by matching supply and demand on the private market.

Activities include:

mediation services;
management of a guarantee fund;
trainings on housing rules and maintenance;
consultancy services managed by the Agency’s partners, in collaboration with social services and third sector organizations;
construction and management of real estate assets intended to provide short or medium-term hospitality (social housing, temporary accommodation, and co-housing projects);
projects on housing inclusion and urban regeneration of depopulated areas.

The municipalities involved finance the guarantee fund, which covers contract stipulation and registration costs, and the management fund, which covers personnel costs.

Trade unions, including the national trade union of houseowners and tenants, are also part of the project’s network and, in addition to offering counselling services, oversee the general management of rental agreements.

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Example 3: Slovenia – Additional housing support for beneficiaries of international protection

The Government Office for the integration and support of migrants (UOIM) and NGOs selected through public competition.
Two integration houses and other accommodation available free of charge.
UOIM coordinates all activities. Integration counsellors take care of supporting beneficiaries.

Example 4: Finding “A New House” in Cluj-Napoca

“A New House” is an initiative of the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca.
Material and medical assistance to vulnerable families and individuals irrespective of their country of origin, religion, age, gender.
The services offered include monthly financial support, meals provided by the Social Eating House of the Municipality, counselling and employment advice, support in enrolling migrant children in school, psychological counselling, financial support for rent, and allocation of social houses.

The Government Office for the integration and support of migrants (UOIM) and NGOs selected through public competition aims to support beneficiaries of international protection in their search for suitable and affordable accommodation upon leaving reception facilities.

To this end, UOIM has two integration houses and other accommodation available free of charge. Younger international protection holders that are still in school have access to student dormitories under the same conditions as Slovenian nationals.

UOIM coordinates all activities concerning accommodation. Integration counsellors take care of supporting each beneficiary in the house search with the help of an interpreter. UOIM is also responsible for giving information on the house search process with the assistance of partner NGOs. This way, international protection holders have access to different accommodation types depending on their needs.

“A New House” is an initiative of the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca. It aims to provide material and medical assistance to vulnerable families and individuals irrespective of their country of origin, religion, age, gender. The services offered include monthly financial support, meals provided by the Social Eating House of the Municipality, counselling and employment advice, support in enrolling migrant children in school, psychological counselling, financial support for rent, and allocation of social houses.

The need to consider TCNs as eligible to receive support was identified by the Social and Medical Assistance Directorate in the first integration project funded under the AMIF National Programme in 2016–2017. The project was implemented in partnership with the Human Defence League Cluj-Napoca and IOM. It saw the direct involvement of TCNs living in Romania to identify their specific needs.

The Social and Medical Assistance Directorate is responsible for assessing the economical and medical situation of each family or person requesting support. If the families or persons meet the eligibility criteria, the Directorate prepares an intervention plan. Usually, this involves support in accessing a monthly financial support for covering the costs for renting an apartment, social houses, medical services, educational services, meetings with potential employers.

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Welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine

AMIF and the Cohesion Policy fund🡺 initial housing solutions
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 🡺 long-term accommodation
European Social Fund (ESF) 🡺 community-based accommodation

The Government Office for the integration and support of migrants (UOIM) and NGOs selected through public competition aims to support beneficiaries of international protection in their search for suitable and affordable accommodation upon leaving reception facilities.

To this end, UOIM has two integration houses and other accommodation available free of charge. Younger international protection holders that are still in school have access to student dormitories under the same conditions as Slovenian nationals.

UOIM coordinates all activities concerning accommodation. Integration counsellors take care of supporting each beneficiary in the house search with the help of an interpreter. UOIM is also responsible for giving information on the house search process with the assistance of partner NGOs. This way, international protection holders have access to different accommodation types depending on their needs.

“A New House” is an initiative of the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca. It aims to provide material and medical assistance to vulnerable families and individuals irrespective of their country of origin, religion, age, gender. The services offered include monthly financial support, meals provided by the Social Eating House of the Municipality, counselling and employment advice, support in enrolling migrant children in school, psychological counselling, financial support for rent, and allocation of social houses.

The need to consider TCNs as eligible to receive support was identified by the Social and Medical Assistance Directorate in the first integration project funded under the AMIF National Programme in 2016–2017. The project was implemented in partnership with the Human Defence League Cluj-Napoca and IOM. It saw the direct involvement of TCNs living in Romania to identify their specific needs.

The Social and Medical Assistance Directorate is responsible for assessing the economical and medical situation of each family or person requesting support. If the families or persons meet the eligibility criteria, the Directorate prepares an intervention plan. Usually, this involves support in accessing a monthly financial support for covering the costs for renting an apartment, social houses, medical services, educational services, meetings with potential employers.

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2. Supporting collaborative housing solutions

Collaborative housing solutions are successful in:

meeting immediate housing needs,
fostering social inclusion in the local community,
and building longer-term housing autonomy.

Promoting more inclusive housing policies

Virtuous initiatives across Includ-EU countries show that collaborative housing solutions are successful in meeting immediate housing needs, fostering social inclusion in the local community, and building longer-term housing autonomy.

Collaborative housing solutions range from shared flats for youngsters to solidarity buildings that cater for different categories of residents with housing or social fragilities. These initiatives help residents cut living costs and create stronger interpersonal ties. Collaborative housing also addresses the needs of the local community, showing that inclusion of TCNs is beneficial for all involved.

As a new model of coexistence in urban and non-urban spaces, collaborative housing has shown to be transferable across countries and local contexts, responding to housing problems by promoting relations of proximity and solidarity between generations and cultures, and through mutual support and participation in socialization activities.

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Example 1: Auntie Gessi’s House in Turin: a comprehensive response to local housing needs

Established in 2008 by the Municipality of Turin with the Salesian Youth Association and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo.
30 apartments (elderly in public residential housing, vulnerable people, and "foster families").
TCNs are both temporary beneficiaries as well as foster families.
Gessi’s House includes a public social services centre and a Day Centre for the Elderly, whose activities are managed with the support of all tenants.

The “Solidarity Building” located in Turin, Gessi Street, also known as Auntie Gessi's House, is an initiative established in 2008 by the Municipality of Turin, in partnership with the Salesian Youth Association and with the financial support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo.

Gessi’s House consists of 30 apartments, 18 apartments assigned to elderly in public residential housing, 8 apartments for vulnerable people reported by the Municipality’s Social Services (including singles parents, single women, and young people at risk of social exclusion), and 4 for "foster families" who support the other residents.

TCNs are both temporary beneficiaries as well as foster families.

Gessi’s House includes a centre of Turin’s Social Services open to the neighbourhood and a Day Centre for the Elderly, whose activities are managed with the support of the tenants.

The project aims at promoting a model of coexistence based on cross-generational and cross-cultural solidarity and mutual help through participatory planning and activities management involving tenants.

Auntie Gessi’s House served as a model for similar projects in Turin, elsewhere in Piedmont, and in Liguria. It is also a meaningful example of public-private partnership, with both the Municipality and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo contributing to the project.

The Municipality of Turin owns the building and oversees both its management and the selection of new tenants. The Salesian Youth Agency manages the project and, together with its network, provides tailored support to the beneficiaries, organizes activities for the neighbourhood, trains foster families and oversees all financial aspects. Fondazione di Compagnia di San Paolo contributes financially and by sharing its expertise in facilitating access to housing.

Auntie Gessi’s House’s residents play a key role in the success of the project. The Solidarity Building also enjoys the support of NGOs and private entities like the Adecco Employment Agency, which takes care of the tenants’ labour inclusion.

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Example 2: Parma’s Tandem - Building youth’s housing autonomy

Tandem is a co-housing and social networking project established in 2016.
It targets Italians and international protection holders aged 18–29.
The initiative offers an intercultural experience combined with professional training and “active citizenship” activities.

Tandem is a co-housing and social networking project established in 2016. It targets Italians and international protection holders aged 18–29. The initiative offers an intercultural experience combined with professional training and “active citizenship” activities.

Tandem develops across two apartments located in the city centre of Parma, loaned by a private and by a religious association respectively. Tenants pay a reduced rent and take part in a 20-hour training course offered by CIAC to make their skills available to the project and to other local social inclusion initiatives.

The co-housing experience lasts from 9 to 12 months and creates “micro communities” of young people within each housing unit. Tenants are also called to actively participate in the life of the local community through awareness-raising campaigns and voluntary activities. After a training period with CIAC workers, Tandem tenants organise activities for the local community, including neighbourhood services, activities for the elderly (e.g. home shopping), theatre workshops, entertainment shows for children, and Italian courses.

Tandem represents an example of mutual support that takes a community-based approach to social inclusion. By facilitating social networks and informal support, it strengthens social cohesion and intercultural dialogue. The volunteer activities carried out by co-housers have a double impact at the community level: they support the most vulnerable people living in the area where the apartments are located, and facilitate the development and consolidation of social networks.

While adopting a multi-stakeholder approach, this initiative focuses also on empowering refugees in a delicate moment of their integration path (i.e. leaving the reception system) and ensuring the sustainability of their housing inclusion by strengthening their social networks.

The activities are implemented by the Municipality of Parma together with CIAC, which manages and monitors the co-habitation experiences, provides the training courses, and offers additional support through other ongoing initiatives. Co-housers also have a key role and are called to play an active part in the life of the community.

Being part of the SAI reception system, Tandem is part of the coordination and monitoring mechanism put in place by the SAI Central Service and the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI).

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3. Developing trust-based housing networks

Building trust-based support networks provides a solution to immediate (and longer-term) housing needs.

It narrows down perceived differences between TCNs and other residents,
facilitates the provision of material guarantees,
and strengthens the positive effects of material housing support.

Promoting more inclusive housing policies

New 'safe homes' initiative to support Europeans who are making their homes available to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

As discrimination or reluctance from landlords remain considerable obstacles to TCNs’ housing autonomy, building trust-based support networks provides a solution to immediate and longer-term housing needs.

Personal trust-based networks developed through collaborative housing solutions or through targeted initiatives narrow down perceived differences between TCNs and other residents, facilitate the provision of material guarantees, and strengthen the positive effects of material housing support.

In fact, projects that respond to immediate housing needs while also fostering the development of trust-based interpersonal networks are particularly successful for three reasons. They respond to short-term housing needs, promote TCNs’ membership and sense of belonging in their new local communities, and increase the chances of finding future accommodation autonomously through recourse to personal support networks.

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Example 1: Xarxa d’Hospitalitat - Hospitality Network in Barcelona

Xarxa d’Hospitalitat (“Hospitality Network”) is an initiative of the Migra Studium Foundation and the Jesuit Service for Migrants in Barcelona.
The Network provides accommodation to migrants for up to 9 months with a “buddy” accompanying them throughout their stay.
The goal of the network is to create links between migrants, foster homes, and buddies, promoting individual autonomy.

Xarxa d’Hospitalitat (“Hospitality Network”) is an initiative of the Migra Studium Foundation and the Jesuit Service for Migrants in Barcelona.

The Network provides accommodation to migrants for up to 9 months with a “buddy” or accompanying person. The goal of the network is to create links between migrants, foster homes, and buddies, promoting individual autonomy.

In 2019, over 50 foster homes have joined the Network and 39 foster homes have been set up, including 6 for minors. Since the creation of the project, 63 families and communities have joined the network, providing shelter and hospitality to 65 people.

During the COVID-19 emergency, in response to a growing need for housing, the Network has been enlarged by opening the Arrupe Community, a hospitality community located in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona province) in facilities provided by the Society of Jesus. A maximum of 10 people will live together there, accompanied by the Migra Studium team and volunteers.

For the future, the network works to increase the number of families willing to host migrants.

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Example 2: Promising Matchmaking (Kansrijke Koppeling) – Making relocation work in The Netherlands

Kansrijke Koppeling (or “promising matchmaking”) is an effort of COA to identify the municipality and accommodation type best suited to individual profiles prior to relocation.
When selecting the appropriate municipality for relocation, career ambitions are strongly considered, in order to optimize labour market opportunities.

In the Netherlands, upon receipt of a residence permit, migrants are permitted to relocate from the asylum reception centre to a pre-identified house in the country. Until 2017, migrants were relocated at random to receiving municipalities based on the availability of housing.

Kansrijke Koppeling (or “promising matchmaking”) is an effort of COA to identify the municipality and accommodation type best suited to individual profiles prior to relocation.

The initiative builds upon the assumption that when migrants reside in geographic locations that match their career ambitions, health needs, family needs, network and educational needs, they are also better placed to integrate faster. When selecting the appropriate municipality for relocation, career ambitions are strongly considered, in order to optimize the labour market integration potential of migrants.

Prior to relocation, COA staff compile the profiles of migrants through discussions about their background. This information is transferred to an online database that assigns quotas to each municipality. After the match, COA staff and the receiving municipality exchange information to prepare for the relocation, including identifying appropriate accommodation and providing support in accessing the labour market.

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4. Contributing to urban regeneration

Adequate housing is often unaffordable or unavailable in large urban centres.
Away from the main cities, other areas are subject to depopulation and have increasing shares of unused and decaying real estate.
Small municipalities have a great potential for social inclusion.

Fostering TCNs’ access to housing through urban regeneration projects is a win-win solution that revive local communities, avoid concentration in big metropolitan areas, and create opportunities to build a new life.

Promoting more inclusive housing policies

Adequate housing is often unaffordable or unavailable in large urban centres, with increasing pressure being put on the real estate market by tourism and rising demand from residents able to offer more guarantees than incoming TCNs. Away from the main cities, other areas are subject to depopulation and have increasing shares of unused and decaying real estate.

Small municipalities have a great potential for social inclusion. They offer not only abandoned, vacant or underused properties, but also smoother access to affordable housing and employment opportunities. More generally, in small municipalities it is also easier to develop social networks that enhance integration prospects

At the same time, housing opportunities in rural, depopulating areas poses its own set of challenges. Issues like remoteness, harder access to services and employment opportunities, and the risk of isolation suggest pursuing the twin goals of urban regeneration and housing inclusion require accompanying mitigating measures.

The good practice below suggests that, once these mitigating measures are set up, fostering TCNs’ access to housing through urban regeneration projects is a win-win solution that revive local communities, avoid concentration in big metropolitan areas, and create opportunities to build a new life. In other words, this shows how it is possible to ensure that TCNs find accommodation that is adequate while, at the same time, creating cascading benefits for the local community’s economy and social life.

More broadly, this also shows that housing integration requires a holistic approach, where finding accommodation comes with access to services and social inclusion.

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Example 1: Catalonia – Reception in small municipalities and county capitals

Through this programme, refugees who arrive in large cities are redistributed across the region with the collaboration of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Town Councils, County Councils, the Service of Public Occupancy of Catalonia (SOC), social organizations for refugee reception, and neighbourhood organizations.
The aim of the programme is to improve refugees’ access to the housing and labour markets by avoiding concentration in big metropolitan areas and reviving depopulating villages.

Through this programme of the Catalan government, refugees who arrive in large cities are redistributed across the region with the collaboration of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Committee for the reception of refugees and mentors of the Mentoring program), Town Councils, County Councils, the Service of Public Occupancy of Catalonia (SOC), social organizations for refugee reception, and neighbourhood organizations.

The aim of the programme is to improve refugees’ access to the housing and labour markets by avoiding concentration in big metropolitan areas and reviving depopulating villages. When an interested family is identified, the programme ensures that relocation takes into account the professional profile and education needs of family members. Through the Table for the Reception of Refugees, for example in the region of Terra Alta, job offers and housing requests are disseminated to host organizations, who provide support to the interested family. The County Council, the Mayors and the Generalitat de Catalunya (Reception and Mentors Committee) also collaborate in the relocation process.

The Project is promoted and evaluated by the Reception Committee for Refugees of the Generalitat de Catalunya and it has been promoted in different regions of Catalonia, especially in Terra Alta, Les Garrigues, Pallars Sobirà, Pallars Jussà, La Segarra and Ripollès.

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Example 2: Porto Fluviale RecHouse in Rome

Project of the Municipality of Rome financed by the Ministry of Infrastructures.
Regeneration of an occupied building made famous by the work of street artist Blue.

The building has been occupied since 2003 by 56 families from 13 different countries.
Residents participate in the co-design of the renovation.
Recovery of a listed building, sustainability, increase of the social housing stock; social inclusion and mixing; create a new public space; innovative management methods; participatory process.

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5. Addressing special needs

TCNs with special needs may face additional difficulties in securing adequate accommodation.
The provision of adequate accommodation should come with targeted and empowering solutions that promote individual wellbeing.

Promoting more inclusive housing policies

Removing barriers to access to housing for TCNs requires an approach that tackles problems broadly felt by the whole local population (e.g. housing shortage, unaffordability, job insecurity), as well as specific integration issues (e.g. access to the labour market, access to services, and language training).

Despite the importance of this integrated approach, TCNs with special needs may face additional difficulties in securing adequate accommodation. This is the case, for example, for TCNs with special healthcare needs who struggle to meet housing costs independently. For unaccompanied migrant children it is important to ensure not only appropriate living conditions, but also tailored protection and personal development services, including psychological and legal assistance, and access to education.

In these cases, the provision of adequate accommodation should come with targeted and empowering solutions that promote individual wellbeing.

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Example: Murcia’s Shelter for Integration and Care

Established in 2001 upon an initiative of the Government of Murcia, later delegated to NGOs Murcia Acoge and Caritas.
The project’s facilities offer housing and healthcare to adult migrant men and women who suffer from temporary illness and cannot afford to pay a rent or cover their housing expenses.
Services are provided regardless of legal status.
Target beneficiaries are mainly migrant workers who suffer from temporary illnesses or occupation accidents and require longer medical leaves. Pregnant women may also access the programme.

The Shelter for Integration and Care of Convalescent Migrants has been established in 2001 upon an initiative of the Government of Murcia. The Government later decided to delegate the programme to NGOs Murcia Acoge and Caritas, with the former progressively taking up the leading role.

The project’s facilities offer housing and healthcare to adult migrant men and women who suffer from temporary illness and cannot afford to pay a rent or cover their housing expenses. Beneficiaries also lack family members or reliable social networks in the Region of Murcia. Importantly, services are provided regardless of legal status.

Target beneficiaries are mainly migrant workers, but other profiles of migrants (non-workers) can also get access to the programme. In the Region of Murcia there is a considerable presence of seasonal workers from Eastern Europe and Africa, many of whom suffer from temporary illnesses or occupation accidents and require longer medical leaves. Pregnant women also have access to healthcare in the project’s framework.

Migrants are usually referred to the project’s facilities by the Social Services or by local Health Centres. In order to qualify for the programme, migrants should meet some minimum requirements (no financial resources, lack or inadequate housing conditions or/and lack of social networks, minimum autonomy to take care of basic domestic activities). The NGO staff carries out regular morning visit, providing food and maintenance services. The NGO staff also works on improving integration into Spanish society. The stay in the facility is initially limited to three months, but can be extended until full recovery.

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Conclusions

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Provide holistic housing support: material and financial support, involvement in local networks, access to the job market, education, healthcare, services.
Establish multilevel partnerships between national, regional, and local authorities, and other stakeholders.
Engage with TCNs in project design and implementation.
Adopt far-reaching housing inclusion measures that benefit larger segments of the population (e.g. urban regeneration projects).
Design targeted interventions: housing inclusion practices and policies should both be inclusive and address the needs of specific groups of TCNs.
Take an integrated approach to housing and social inclusion.

Conclusions

On the basis of these key findings, we can formulate the following policy indications:

Provide holistic housing support: in order to be effective and long-lasting, actions in the field of housing inclusion should include material support (e.g. temporary or longer-term accommodation) and financial measures (e.g. guarantee funds). They should also pursue broader social inclusion goals, supporting involvement in local networks, and access to the job market, education, healthcare, and other services.

Establish multilevel partnerships: examples from Includ-EU countries show that it is key to promote the collaboration of national, regional, and local authorities and stakeholders in order to develop innovative housing projects.

Engage with TCNs: For the success of these projects, it is also crucial to engage TCNs and local communities in project design and implementation. As the good practices presented in this training module show, this can be achieved in a various ways depending on the project type and existing conditions. Forms of TCNs engagement can range from collaborative, co-housing projects to co-design and planning.

Adopt far-reaching housing inclusion measures that benefit larger segments of the population, including urban regeneration projects: TCNs’ housing inclusion can and should benefit the whole community involved. This can be achieved, for example, by starting from the local community’s needs when planning housing inclusion projects, or by opening the latter up to other residents who face similar housing issues.

Design targeted interventions: housing inclusion practices and policies should both be inclusive and address the needs of specific groups of TCNs, including unaccompanied migrant children, persons suffering from serious illness, seasonal workers, and victims of gender-based violence . More broadly, it is important to bear in mind that, while an increasing share of the EU population face housing difficulties, TCNs do face specific and, in some respects, greater challenges compared to other groups of residents, for example due to language barriers and discrimination. For this reason, it is paramount to ensure that housing inclusion measures remain targeted and specific, while also benefitting larger segment of the population.

Take an integrated approach to housing and social inclusion: housing and social policies are deeply interconnected. Remoteness in rural areas call for an integrated approach to ensure access to other services, including health and education. Housing inclusion in urban contexts require accompanying measures to allow access to services and counter the risks of segregation and exclusion

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Regional and local expertise, exchange �and engagement for enhanced social cohesion in Europe

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