Could you provide us with some figures that help understand the dimension of these types of initiatives?
Our association represents 43,000 housing providers in 24 countries. Together they manage over 26 million households, approximately 11% of the housing that exists in Europe. All European countries have these types of organisations, and in some of them they have a strong tradition, which dates back over 100 years.
These are organisations that really are building affordable and good-quality housing on a non-profit basis. Therefore, they have to form part of the puzzle that makes up the housing sector. Of course, within a regulated framework. For example, in Austria, non-profit building cooperatives built 18% of homes in the whole country last year. And in Sweden, the cooperatives and municipal housing companies represent 21% of homes.
Por ejemplo, en Austria, las cooperativas de construcción sin fines de lucro construyeron el 18% de las viviendas en todo el país el pasado año. Y en Suecia, las cooperativas o empresas municipales de vivienda representan el 21% de los hogares.
Do these types of organisation exist in Spain?
Yes. The majority are of a public nature. But in this environment of economic difficulties, public organisations suffer from funding problems: there are not sufficient subsidies, there are budget cuts… Moreover, the large part of protected housing in Spain is for sale purposes, so there are stock problems with protected rental housing.
Various initiatives exist, but they do not obtain sufficient support, either because they do not have access to land or alternatively because they do not achieve adequate funding during a prolonged period. Undoubtedly, this part of the offering has to grow in Spain and in the whole of Europe, but perhaps it is necessary to wait for a time, so that adequate conditions arise for more building more homes on a non-profit basis.
Is there evidence that shows that affordable and adequate housing is an attractive investment?
Yes, there is. We have recently collaborated on a study by an independent agency linked to the EU that evaluates how much inadequate housing is costing the European economy. The estimate is that the cost of not investing in housing stands at 194,000 million euros per year.
One of the most important parts is the cost related with healthcare. Having poor-quality housing has a tremendous impact on people’s health. Those who live in homes that are too hot, or too cold, end up becoming ill. And then the public healthcare systems have to bear the cost of caring for these patients.
Moreover, there are organisations that we collaborate with that calculate how much good-quality housing saves the economy. And they do so by paying attention to different criteria. For example, how much money citizens could direct to the local economy – and therefore, to promoting trade – if they did not have to spend the large part of their incomes on renting their homes.
Another example: how much could the public authorities save in the care system if elderly people could remain longer in their own homes? A lot of money. We can even think of such simple and everyday things such as the excess costs associated with nights of hospitalisation when somebody suffers an illness, an accident or an injury. Member states would save millions of euros for every night in a hospital bed if housing existed offering suitable conditions for caring for patients once discharged.
Are you optimistic about the future?
I would prefer to say I am hopeful. I daren’t use the word optimistic. The most important thing is to have a very clear vision of the future that we want for our cities: that they have the services necessary for people to develop all their potential, whether they be students, teachers, nurses, immigrant families or children; that they are inclusive; that they take into account sustainable development goals; that there is social justice; and that the environment is respected.
We must try and win as many people as possible over to this idea: non-profit housing providers, cooperatives, public housing companies, but also the cities and their citizens. And we have to express these ideas in economic terms, in order to persuade investors that, for their businesses, this is also the path to be followed.
Interview by Juan Manuel García Campos