SHAPE - Affordable Housing Initiative European Partnership operates from Brussels as a consortium tackling energy poverty and housing renovation across Europe. Coordinated by Housing Europe and funded by the EU's Single Market Programme, its first phase ran from 2022 to 2024 under the name SHAPE-EU, supporting 22 districts in areas like project implementation, financial feasibility, technology, and social inclusiveness. Three Belgian sites received aid: Ganshoren and Étangs Noirs in Brussels, plus Groenlaan in Schendelbeke.
The second phase, SHAPE II, launched November 4, 2024, in Brussels with six partners including GNE Finance, EBC, and SINTEF. It extends focus to resilience, liveability, and circular economy, offering technical guidance, mentorship, and an Accelerator Programme to cut emissions and secure affordability toward EU climate neutrality by 2050.
Current efforts spotlight Brussels projects, such as SLRB's conversion of a 1969 steel tower in Molenbeek. Originally 16 storeys and 6,500 square metres, it now stands at 21 storeys and over 10,000 square metres, yielding 63 energy-efficient social housing units. Study visits like this one on February 22 exposed providers and cities to such transformations, building on phase I's funding simulator and 13 mentors for local actors.