2019 European Network for Housing Research congress in Athens

The 2019 European Network for Housing Research congress (ENHR), “Housing for the Next European Social Model”, was held between 27 – 30 of August at Harokopio University.

This vital congress brings together experts on housing issues for more than 30 years. In this year’s event, more than 350 participants, from 40 countries all over the world, participated.

Housing, not as commodity but as a human right, is fundamental to the Right to the City. In this congress was explored how housing can be part of a new solidarity model for Europe and how housing policies can lead the way in this direction. Answers were found, not only in the way central governments and mainstream institutions have responded but also in the realm of social innovation in the diverse regions of Europe, where path dependency and other contextual factors have given or could give rise to unique solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing housing provision challenges.

The congress consisted of a series of plenary sessions, workshops, social events, field trips and a number of prolific key-note speakers. 

One of the field trips was organized by the Greek street paper “Shedia”. “Invisible Tours” is a social project based in the capital of Greece, Athens, in which homeless people become tour guides in a very different kind of a city walk. The tour introduced visitors to many important social and solidarity institutions of the Greek capital (soup kitchens, day centers, drug rehabilitation centers, homeless shelters etc.).  

CONVIN had the overall responsibility for the organization of the above congresses.