AHA Budapest

Like many European cities, Budapest faces an energy crisis, which exacerbates the ongoing housing affordability crisis, and exposes new social groups to energy poverty and housing insecurity. 

In addition, Budapest’s social housing sector has been marginal, shrinking, and in disrepair for decades. To tackle this challenge, The Municipality of Budapest strives for a more attractive, resilient, and inclusive social housing system. AHA will develop an integrated service model which combines the near-zero energy, scalable repurposing of an unused non-residential public building into social housing; expanding social housing supply with new, flexible and affordable solutions; and early social and energy interventions making homes more affordable, building on a unique early warning system. The engagement and participation of tenants fosters their sense of belonging, while also contributing to the better maintenance of the sector and the stronger inclusion of vulnerable people. AHA’s innovation lies in developing a complex, modular integrated service model to reposition social housing as a financially stable, green, and aesthetic sector, making it attractive for private investors, thus ensuring scalability and financial sustainability.