Social and affordable housing district demonstrator (IA) (HORIZON-CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-02)

Resilience is about more than the ability to withstand and cope with shocks; it is an opportunity to undergo transitions in a sustainable and fair way. As the EU gears up to becoming a climate-neutral, circular and competitive economy by 2050, resilience will require paying attention to new vulnerabilities as entire sectors undergo deep transformations while creating opportunities for Europe's industry to develop its own markets, products and services which boost competitiveness.
Research and innovation will be fundamental to spur industrial leadership and enhanced resilience. It will support the modernisation of traditional industrial models while developing novel technologies, business models and processes. This can enhance the flexibility of the EU's industrial base, and increase its resilience by reducing EU dependencies on third countries for critical raw materials and technologies.
Projects are expected to contribute among others to the following outcomes:
- Demonstrate renovation pilots in the sense of "lighthouse districts" as announced by the Affordable Housing Initiative in the Renovation Wave communication following a smart neighbourhood approach and providing blueprints for replication, setting liveability and latest technological and social innovations at the forefront;
- Mobilise cross-sectoral industrial and partnerships at local level to develop, adapt, design new processes, methods and technologies (e.g. energy efficiency, circular, modular building, smart living, eco-design etc.). Special attention should be paid to the needs of residents in social using, through social innovation and using a human centred approach;
- Following a multi-actor approach, engaging both, different sectors and fields of operation related to construction such as renewable energy, water treatment, and electronics as well as residents, social and public housing associations and civil society actors will be key to boost tailor-made and fit for purpose innovation;
- Demonstrate through such partnerships lighthouse districts that allow integrated renovation approaches. Besides technological innovation, specific focus on social innovation is crucial as it can provide social engagement models to empower and engage residents, foster the co-design, co-development and co-implementation, offer spatial organisation allowing socio-economic activities and services, improve the wellbeing of citizens, and promote intergenerational and mixed forms of housing and accessible architecture open for cultural and creative innovation. Social innovation may also form a key aspect in developing business models for these types of lighthouse districts;
- Develop new bottom-up human-centred business models in housing area that facilitate engagement of residents in renovation - for example by co-investing, setting up energy communities, housing cooperatives and resident owned social services and (creative, green, … ) commons;

To support a wide implementation of these district renovations, industrial urban symbiosis needs to be fostered amongst most relevant partners engaged in construction and renovation of social housing facilities. The local and regional dimension is important since local energy and utility networks, adjacent industrial infrastructures and available by-products and services in such districts would have to be considered in a holistic and integrated approach. In the same way, logistics should be optimised wherever possible and should be an advantage from the sustainable and competitiveness perspective.
Technology based innovations should prove the potential for novel symbiotic renovation projects acting as demonstrators involving multiple industrial sectors (combining non-exhaustively energy, construction, renewables, circular, electronics and creative industries, social housing associations and public authorities) in pilot multi-stakeholder partnerships focussing on a district approach and social needs related to social housing. Projects are expected to address:The development of a broader integrated methodology towards renovation of social housing districts starting from a cross-sectoral approach (e.g. INNOSUP) and engagement models of residents to develop the application of technologies that make social housing more energy efficient, accessible and liveable;
- Research how technologies for housing and renovation can be adapted in a way that serves the needs of residents in social housing at affordable cost as well as how development at scale (e.g. district level of multi-apartment building) might bring cost optimisation and improve the affordability;
- The adaptation of technology in way it addresses the basic and essential needs of residents rather than to showcase the most advanced application from a technical perspective (human centred, fit for purpose and tailor made);

Further Information:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl4-2021-resilience-02-32;callCode=null;freeTextSearchKeyword=HORIZON-CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-02-32;matchWholeText=true;typeCodes=0,1,2;statusCodes=31094