What it is
The International Social Housing Festival is run by Housing Europe, the European federation of public, cooperative and social housing, together with a member organisation in the host city. It moves to a new city each time: Amsterdam in 2017, Lyon in 2019, Helsinki in June 2022 after a pandemic postponement, Barcelona in 2023 and Dublin in June 2025, where the Irish Council for Social Housing was the host. The next edition is in Lisbon in June 2027.
How the programme works
The festival is not a single conference. It is a programme of many events organised by different groups, and the organisers say outside organisations put their ideas forward and shape the agenda, which is why each edition looks different. In Dublin there were 350 events, and Housing Europe’s own members and partners organised nearly 40 of them. Housing Europe also held its annual conference and general assembly during the festival.
The European Responsible Housing Awards are presented during the festival. For 2027 they are organised by Housing Europe, the International Union for Tenants and DELPHIS, with support from the European Commission, and the ceremony is set for 7-9 June 2027 in Lisbon. An independent jury, with a majority of tenant representatives, judges entries in four categories, plus a special prize for housing young people. The call for entries closes on 31 December 2026.
Who goes and how to take part
The festival is aimed at social and affordable housing providers, policymakers, tenant representatives, researchers, city authorities, urbanists, architects and activists. Housing Europe expects more than 3,000 delegates in Lisbon. Registration and prices for 2027 have not been published yet.
What came out of past editions
Attendance has grown from about 1,300 people at 45 events in Amsterdam to more than 2,400 people from 35 countries in Dublin, according to Housing Europe’s 2025 report. The report says the voices of social housing residents were clear and resounding in Dublin, and that this will carry on to Lisbon.
Why it matters for cities
Housing is now a central question for many European city governments. The festival is one of the few large meetings where public and cooperative housing providers, tenants and city officials meet on equal terms, and the awards collect working examples, such as earlier winners from Stockholm, Vienna and Matosinhos, that other cities can copy.