Consultancy: Social Housing Landscape Research in Hungary

at  Habitat for Humanity

1.INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

To address SDG 11, HFHI/EME aims to create a Europe-wide programme that will be implemented around the topic of reutilizing vacant buildings and spaces, for use as accommodation for a vulnerable population. The program shall address more effective utilization of vacant premises (residential and/or non-residential) for social shelter purposes. The programme will be designed for localized implementation by Habitat national organizations, HFHI and/or other partners.

5.REQUIRED COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCE

It could be a consultancy company or a licensed freelance consultant. The consultant should have a combination of the following skills and competencies:

• Strong expertise in market research and market studies,
• Minimum 5 years of experience in European markets,
• At least 3 references of professional experience in conducting similar services,
• English language fluency is required,
• Knowledge of the Hungarian language is an asset.

2.AIM AND PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH

This research aims to determine the scale of opportunities in terms of existing empty spaces as well as contextual factors – which may be social, financial and legal – that exist within Hungary, around the conversion and repurposing of vacant spaces into viable and affordable social housing, designed to support vulnerable communities. This research also aims at identifying markets where there is considerable potential to reutilize empty spaces as a possible housing solution.

TASKS (SCOPE OF WORK)

Social housing landscape, definitions, and models

• Explore the stage of development and urbanization in Hungary as well as the legal and institutional frameworks in which housing is provided;
• Review the existing national housing policies and national/local housing regulations;
• Gather data and analyze the national housing provision policies and practices;
• Identify past and current social housing models in Hungary and discuss their merits and reasons for success or failure;
• Identify and review good housing practices in Hungary and some comparable countries.

Housing needs

• Compile specific housing demographic data and economic characteristics and trends and discuss the availability and adequacy of community services;
• Collect and analyze data on housing stock including socially-owned housing in Hungary
• Collect housing demand data in Hungary (housing prices and affordability, housing tenures, living arrangements by age groups, social housing provisions, number of people waiting for social housing or being institutionalized…)
• Identify vulnerable social groups, their size, and specific needs regarding social housing (people living in homelessness, households living in insecure or inadequate housing, young people leaving institutional care, refugees…)

Empty spaces landscape

• Assess, identify, and map the empty and underused properties and create an inventory explicating ownership and type of building;
• Identify and propose incentives for mobilizing support for the re-use of vacant properties through transparent and inclusive participatory processes;
• Identify innovative experiences already experimented in some areas that can feed, inform, and inspire coherent housing strategies;
• Evaluate the position and awareness of the real-estate/residential industry towards empty space conversion including identification of all the barriers and challenges (financial, legal, legislative, business model…) preventing existing stock of empty spaces being converted into homes at scale.

Housing finance and social housing market opportunities

• Identify the current national funding strategies and models for social housing;
• Identify and review the range of financial vehicles that can channel the flow of social housing capital, including direct public expenditure like grants or loans, via government intermediaries and/or as loans via private financial institutions;
• Identify and evaluate impacts and opportunities for the housing market of the empty spaces conversion (public support, borrowing from the banks, own resources, cross finance, tenant equity contribution…);
• Explore new and innovative approaches shaping the social housing industry towards achieving social and financial efficiencies.

Key housing actors (PPPP)

• Identify and map the public, private, and social actors in housing policy and service provision;
• Review the key housing actors roles in housing policy and service provision in light of sustainable housing and deliberative democracy;
• Provide insight in developing synergies between public, private, and social actors by taking into account the real housing, economic-productive, and social needs of the vulnerable population