Author: RIPESS Europe

RIPESS Europe is proud to announce the approval of a new European project that significantly strengthen our work on social and solidarity economy (SSE), community-led solutions and systemic transformation: CHOICE – Community-led Housing, supported by the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values).
The project address urgent and structural challenges facing Europe today while placing communities, rights, and democratic governance at the centre of the transition.

CHOICE – Strengthening Community-Led Responses to Europe’s Housing Crisis
The CHOICE project addresses one of Europe’s most pressing social challenges: the housing crisis, characterised by soaring prices, limited availability and widespread energy inefficiency, which deepen inequality and social exclusion across the continent.

Funded under the CERV programme, CHOICE responds directly to recent EU-level political developments, including the appointment of the first-ever European Commissioner for Housing and the establishment of a Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Parliament, tasked with developing a European Affordable Housing Plan by 2026. Access to affordable, decent, sustainable and inclusive housing is increasingly recognised as a fundamental social right, as enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights (Principle 19).

In this context, CHOICE focuses on community-led housing and stewardship models as democratic and accountable alternatives to speculative and market-driven approaches. The project builds on evidence such as the 2025 report Community-led Place Stewardship by the European Community Land Trust Network, which highlights the transformative potential of community involvement in the planning, development and long-term governance of housing.

The consortium partners are RIPESS Europe, ECOLISE, ICLEI Europe, ISCTE, GEN Europe, MOBA, the University of Vechta and CSN. The idea is to bring together throught the different activities European networks of civil society organisations, local governments, cultural actors and research institutions deeply rooted in community development, participation, SSE and sustainability.

CHOICE aims to:
• Empower citizens to actively contribute to shaping future housing policies through local, national and European debates;
• Promote inclusive participation, particularly of women, youth and migrants, in identifying housing needs and co-designing solutions;
• Facilitate knowledge exchange on community-led housing models through regional and pan-European gatherings and a public compendium of best practices;
• Bridge citizen dialogue and policymaking, ensuring that grassroots perspectives inform European housing policies and advocacy efforts;
• Promote gender equality and social inclusion across all project activities.

The approval of  CHOICE marks an important step forward in RIPESS Europe’s mission to support community-led, rights-based and sustainable alternatives across Europe. The project reinforce the role of the social and solidarity economy as a key driver of democratic transformation in housing and beyond.

More information about activities, partnerships and opportunities for engagement will be shared in the coming months.

Stay tuned!