Expert workshop on land policies and affordable housing

Ensuring the availability of affordable housing has become an urgent challenge across Europe, as highlighted, among others, in the Commission Staff Working Document Understanding the housing crisis, accompanying the European Affordable Housing Plan (2025). Access to land and the design of land policy instruments play an important role in shaping housing supply. The workshop aims to exchange experiences and perspectives on how land policies can contribute to the provision of affordable housing in areas under housing stress.

We would be very pleased if you could join this discussion. The discussion will focus in particular on the following questions:

• Which land policy instruments appear particularly promising?
• Which approaches have proven effective in practice?
• What lessons can be drawn for European cities?

The event will bring together researchers, policymakers and practitioners from across Europe.

PROGRAMME
09:30 – 10:00
Arrival and coffee

10:00 – 10:10
Welcome address
Matthew Baldwin (Head of the Housing Task Force; Deputy Director-General, DG ENER, European Commission)

10:10 – 10:30
Keynote: Land policies for affordable housing – an economic perspective
Christian Oberst (IW – German Economic Institute)

10:30 – 11:30
Practice insights: innovative land policy instruments
Experiences from:

• City of Paris – (Jenna Reinette)
• Bruxelles Capital Region – Community Land Trusts (Geert de Pauw)
• Limburg, Flemish Region – Heusden-Zolder (Christiane Malina)
• Ireland – Land Development Agency (speaker tbc)

11:30 – 12:00
Coffee break

12:00 – 12:45
Breakout sessions

12:45 – 13:15
Feedback from breakout sessions

13:15 – 13:30
Concluding remarks

Moderation: Sandra Parthie (Head of Brussels Office, IW; President, EESC Employers’ Group)

LOCATION
IW Brussels Liaison Office
Haus der Wirtschaft (2nd floor)
Rue Marie de Bourgogne 58
1000 Brussels

Participation is possible online. Please go to ONLINE REGISTRATION Site

Participation is limited to 50 in-person and 50 online participants (100 in total). Registrations will be accepted until March 25th, 2026 on a first-come, first-served basis.