Seminar on ‘The Housing Markets of Southern Europe in face of the crisis’

This week saw the celebration of the Seminar entitled ‘The Housing Markets of Southern Europe in the face of the crisis’, as part of the DAAD Project in Görlitz, Germany, at which the different participating countries presented studies on problems in their housing markets since the crisis of 2007, as well as possible future challenges, all from a multidisciplinary point of view.

Several of our researchers have attended the seminar and read papers. Dr. Héctor Simón gave a presentation on the regulation of the fundamental right to housing in some European countries (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, France and Germany) and analysed how the system of housing policies in place in each country allowed this right to be observed. Prof. Dr. Sergio Nasarre presented a comparative study of Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Malta on the one hand (countries with a low percentage of rented homes) and Switzerland, Germany and Austria on the other (high percentages of home rental), in order to highlight how certain points in the leasing laws have an effect on the size of the rental market. The pre-doctoral researcher Núria Lambea looked at the systems for managing social housing in Spain and the United Kingdom, highlighting the more conflictive aspects of the former and emphasising the most relevant aspects of the latter, underlining the existence of non-profit organisations known as housing associations, as the main providers of  social housing. Finally, we enjoyed the collaboration of the Doctor of the IGOP (Government and Public Policy Institute) of Barcelona Autonomous University, Guillem Fernández, who gave a presentation on policies aimed at preventing homelessness based on housing in Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom, highlighting the shortcomings, opportunities and possibilities regarding its implementation in Spain.