News
From November 6-8, the EFL member community gathered in Leeds, hosted by one of the UK’s largest housing associations, Places for People. The event began with an informal evening on November 6, setting a relaxed tone for networking and connection-building. The conference was officially opened by EFL Chairman Ben Pluijmers, alongside Branwen Evans, Places for People’s Director of Sustainability and Policy. John Hannigan, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), kicked off with an insightful session on the UK’s sustainability goals. Following this, Prof. Dr. Vincent Gruis from TU Delft presented on the challenges of circular (re)construction, emphasizing the embodied energy within existing buildings.
A dynamic international panel, including Luke Cross from Social, engaged the audience in a lively discussion, followed by Tom Arey of Places for People, who shared the launch of a new housing academy designed to enhance technical skills in the sector’s workforce. Additionally, Ullrik Brock Hoffmeyer from Denmark introduced an ESG assessment tool leveraging AI to drive sustainability efforts.
In the afternoon, participants visited Park Hill in Sheffield to witness an innovative regeneration project up close.
The final day, Friday, November 8, was dedicated to workshops and presentations from our topic group leaders. Suvi Tuomala from Setlementtiassunot, an EFL member in Finland, opened the day by outlining the current housing landscape in Finland. The workshops covered key themes, including (1) the role of AI, (2) decarbonization, and (3) the challenges of aging populations.
We concluded with presentations from our topic group leaders: Steve Loveland (Age-Friendly Living), John Stevens and Jennifer Cuthbert (Social Domain), Fabien Lasserre (Construction), Hendrik Cornehl (Finance), and Oliver Falk Becker (Digitization).
Special thanks to Corné Koppelaar, the team from Places for People and Joost Nieuwenhuijzen for organizing this successful event, which highlighted our community’s shared commitment to innovation and sustainable housing solutions.
Presentations can be downloaded HERE. Pictures of the event: click HERE . Video Registration click HERE