Renovating social housing in a way that is socially acceptable, climate-proof, affordable and scalable

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In order to achieve the climate goals, social housing is facing a serious challenge. Many rental homes need to be thoroughly renovated and insulated to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce energy costs. This improves living comfort, reduces energy poverty and promotes the living climate. Due to the long waiting lists, renovation while residents still live there is often the best option, but this brings social challenges. From an environmental point of view, it is crucial to say goodbye to fossil fuels and to focus on material efficiency, with circular building as a focus. The economic aspects are complex: deep renovations seem expensive, but in the long run they are more efficient than several small renovations. Socially, residents need to be convinced and involved in change. Holistic, Social Retrofit offers a renovation solution that is socially acceptable, climate-proof, affordable and scalable. It will develop and demonstrate these in two social residential areas with characteristics representative of the programme area, in Munsterbilzen in Flanders and Roosendaal in NederlandHoe. The project aims to carry out these renovations more ambitiously than required by law. It focuses on HVAC techniques (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), optimisation of energy distribution techniques, and development of smart services. The residents are involved in the design and renovation. This approach integrates building physical and technical measures with social, economic and climate concerns. The goal is to make renovations more pleasant, reduce financial challenges and achieve an integrated climate vision.

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