The EU City Lab on Housing is a two-day, in-person knowledge-sharing event held in Brussels, Belgium, on 15–16 October 2026.12 Co-organised by the URBACT Programme and the European Urban Initiative (EUI), with support from Brussels Housing and perspective.brussels, it addresses one of Europe’s most pressing urban challenges: access to affordable, social and cooperative housing.142
The event’s core purpose is to explore how European cities can design, finance and regulate affordable housing solutions in diverse urban contexts, and to connect EU-level policy frameworks with concrete implementation tools at local level.129 A central reference point is the emerging European Affordable Housing Plan and the work of the Housing Task Force within the European Commission, which will be discussed with EU representatives and high-level speakers.19 The programme includes policy discussions, interactive workshops, sessions on state aid rules for housing, and city visits showcasing housing policies and regulatory tools in the Brussels-Capital Region.910
The target audience consists of up to 100 participants, including representatives of European cities, local agencies, public institutions, housing experts, housing providers, financial institutions and other stakeholders working on urban housing across Europe.14 Participation is free of charge, although travel and accommodation are borne by attendees, and the event is strictly in-person, with no remote participation.1 As part of the broader EU City Labs series launched in 2023, this lab contributes to an ongoing European-local dialogue on housing, helping cities learn from peers and transfer good practices across borders.132