Universities in Ireland, Poland and Spain have come together to create new studies on all aspects of housing in Europe.

The online programmes are designed for national housing and European policymakers, housing and property professionals, housing managers, students, housing providers, NGOs and others.

Key European housing issues – from rights, to tenure, to homelessness, to roles of professionals and stakeholders – are explained by top European housing experts, in 48 short, accessible sections, with national examples, and up to date references.

The Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy at University of Galway developed the new Online Course on EU Housing Studies – available at https://www.housingstudies.eu/about-us – along with University of Silesia in Poland, the UNESCO Housing Chair at University Rovira I Virgili in Spain, and others.

Professor Padraic Kenna, Director of the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy at University of Galway, said: “Housing is now recognised as a European Union issue by President Ursula von der Leyen. However, almost all housing and associated professional training, research and policymaking is focussed on national level issues. What we are aiming to achieve with this new approach is to bridge the knowledge gap which currently exists – identifying and relating the housing issues which are impacted by the EU, its policy making, and which affect its 450 million citizens.

“This will become an essential part of all progressive housing-related training and policymaking in the years ahead and will be invaluable for national housing and European policymakers, housing and property professionals, housing managers, students in housing and housing related professions, housing providers, NGOs and others. It provides an invaluable introduction to the area for those building a career and specialisation in housing anywhere in the EU.”

The course is fully-funded and was developed through EU Erasmus funding and provides accurate up to date information on all aspects of housing in Europe. Participants may proceed from the initial fully-funded course to accredited certification on paying a registration fee.

It addresses such issues as: Access and tenure of housing; Housing as market; Transactions with homes and funding; Roles and functions of Housing and Property Professionals and Stakeholders in Europe; Housing, city, territory and environment; Housing and New Technologies; Theory of housing studies; The right to housing; Development of housing; Forced loss and lack of housing.