21/4/2009 - Housing, social inclusion and the economy

Access to good quality and affordable accommodation is both a fundamental right and a basic need. Such access, however, varies markedly across the EU as well as between social groups within individual countries and can be greatly affected by economic circumstances. This is being highlighted by the present recession which is spreading across Europe and which has its roots in the housing market in the US.

The seminar will address various aspects of the interrelationship between housing, the economy and social inclusion – the effect of the housing market on economic developments as well as the consequences of such developments for the housing market and for individuals and families who can no longer keep up mortgage payments or pay their rent.

Workshop programme

Workshop presentations

Housing markets and the Economy in the European Union and the United States (Christophe André, OECD) 

The impact of the financial tsunami on the UK housing market (Ms Christine Whitehead, London School of Economics and Political Science) 

Housing affordability issues in Eastern and Central European countries (Mr József Hegedüs, Metropolitan Research Institute) 

Housing exclusion and homelessness in Ireland (Mr Joe Finnerty, Department of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork) 

Rising Repossessions: can policy measures keep people in their homes? (Ms Natalie Elphicke, Centre for Policy Studies)