AHA Budapest - Affordable Housing for Everyone
Affordable Housing for All
Safe and decent housing should be a fundamental right – yet today in Budapest, many live without adequate housing. People struggling with housing issues face not only physical deficiencies but also social stigmatization, which further deteriorates their quality of life.
The European Union-supported AHA – Affordable Housing for All project aims to change this situation. Its goal is to provide quality, stable, and dignified housing for those in need – while contributing to raising awareness among the Budapest population about housing poverty and vulnerability.
As part of the AHA's first pilot project, a previously unused school building is being transformed – with the creation of 26 modern apartments through the collaboration of eight partner organizations. The families moving in are supported by social professionals and a unique forecasting system to help them embark on a new, planned, and dignified life after their previous unstable housing situation.
The resulting DemoHub not only offers energetically modern apartments but also provides comprehensive social support and continuous monitoring. The project serves as a model, aiming to set an example for other innovative housing solutions as well.
While in Western Europe, the development and maintenance of modern, municipality-owned rental flats is already a common practice, in Hungary the lack of regulation in the sector and the weakness of the social housing system pose significant obstacles. The goal of AHA is to transform vacant, originally non-residential properties owned by the capital into affordable, sustainable housing solutions.
The first such transformation is taking place at Baross Street 39, where a school building is being converted into residential property – embracing energy-efficient technologies and sustainability principles.
As part of the project, KÉK has two important tasks:
Community Planning: During the creation of the community space, not only future residents but also local inhabitants are involved to ensure a truly inclusive community space can be developed.
Neighborhood Integration: The aim is to create an inclusive local community that the new inhabitants can integrate into for the long term.
The creation of the community space takes place in the final phase of the project, fully tailored to the needs of the area.
Partners:
Budapest Brand
Municipality of Budapest
KÉK
BURST
Popcode
Városkutatás Kft.
MEHI
NART
ULE