Posted 13.12.17
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The first certified Zero Net Energy Ready rental housing development in the USA providing year-round housing to agricultural workers in California and a project that helped more than 15,000 families rebuild their homes following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines are the winners of this year's World Habitat Awards.
Each year the World Habitat Awards are presented to two outstanding and innovative housing projects - from over 100 entries from across the world. The two World Habitat Award winners 2017 are:
Post-Haiyan Self-Recovery Housing Programme, Philippines
After the widespread devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, this project helped over 15,500 families to self-recover.
Instead of relocating families, the project helped people rebuild their housing using locally available materials and debris from destroyed houses.
Mutual Housing at Spring Lake, USA
Based in Woodland in Yolo County, California, this project provides secure affordable homes for agricultural workers.
It was also the first certified 100% Zero Net Energy Ready rental housing development in the USA, meaning utility bills are extremely low.
Alongside the winners are eight finalists including two who received a special mention from the judges.
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Updated 14.12.17
Housing Futures: Various links - see below
Housing Futures is the online platform on housing strategies for cities around the globe. The following have been posted recently.
The Role of the European Union in Dutch social housing
An important issue relating the EU and housing in the Netherlands is 'State Aid', which is defined as "using taxpayer resources to provide help to organisations in a way that gives an advantage over others".
Some State Aid is illegal under European Union (EU) rules because it distorts competition in a way that is harmful to citizens and companies in the EU. This is why the Dutch Association of Institutional Investors wrote a complaint to the European Commission. They believe that the associations received an unfair advantage.
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Dutch social housing: a long and powerful tradition
The Het Schip building in Amsterdam, which was built in the 1930s and designed by Michel de Klerk, is Amsterdam's number one monument representing social housing architecture.
The housing complexes of the Amsterdam School were set as role models for housing innovations for other cities.
Nowadays the Het Schip still functions as a place for many people to live in but additionally provides space for a museum. The museum shows the history of social housing in the Netherlands and is placed in various parts of the building, like the former school for the working-class inhabitants of the Het Schip.
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Public Housing in New Zealand: Something is a bubbling down under
In New Zealand, the federal department called Housing New Zealand is transferring some of its housing stock to smaller local housing providers.
It seems that this transfer of housing stock comes out of a larger strategy of social housing reform. According to Ministry of Social Development's website website the main objectives of reform include:
