Your voice can help shape fairer housing policies
Are you concerned about rising rents or the struggle to find affordable housing? Have you watched your neighborhood transform due to short-term rentals or felt the impact of housing shortages?
KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre invites you to be part of something new: the Online Citizens’ Dialogue on Housing: an online space where everyday people come together to share real experiences, learn from each other, and co-create practical solutions for fairer housing.
Why Your Participation Matters
This isn’t a survey or a consultation: it’s a genuine democratic experiment where your lived experience shapes real recommendations that will reach policymakers, researchers, and civil society partners in upcoming dialogues.
Housing affects everything: where we work, how we raise our families, and whether we feel we belong. Across Europe, millions face overcrowding, unaffordable rents, discrimination, or displacement. But solutions exist — and they work best when they’re built by the people who understand these challenges firsthand.
By joining this Dialogue, you will:
- Connect with others from different backgrounds, cultures, and housing situations
- Share your story and ideas in a safe, respectful environment
- Learn from short expert videos and insights on housing challenges
- Co-create recommendations that can influence real policy discussions
No expertise required — just your honest perspective and an open mind. Every voice counts.
How It Works
This Online Citizens’ Dialogue on Housing takes place entirely online and is designed to fit around your schedule:
Step 1: Learn at your own pace
Watch short videos, read articles, and explore real examples about housing. This step is optional, but it helps you prepare! Find out the material here. (Click log in and create your account)
Step 2: Join the Online Discussion on Housing
November 12, 11:00–13:00 CET
Come to a guided Zoom meeting where you will:
- Hear from housing experts
- Talk about real housing problems
- Share ideas in small groups
The discussion will be moderated by:
Dr. Antonis Klapsis: Vice President, KMOP, Assistant Professor, University of Peloponnese, Greece
With guest experts:
- Michalis Goudis: Director, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Thessaloniki Office – Greece, on how municipalities and local communities can play a stronger role in tackling housing problems, linking housing policies with social and environmental priorities.
- Maria Karagianni: Expert in Housing in the Major Development Agency Thessaloniki S.A., on alternative and innovative affordable housing models in Europe
- Angeliki Mitropoulou: Research Associate, ENA Institute for Alternative Policies, on the impact of tourism and investment schemes such as the Golden Visa on access to housing, and the challenges of keeping homes affordable for residents.
- Ilias Nikolaidis: Content Director, diaNEOsis Research and Policy Institute, on what recent research reveals about the roots of the housing crisis – from low incomes and short-term rentals to lessons from other European countries – and what broader strategies could make housing fairer and more resilient.
- Eva Papatzani: Research Associate, National Centre for Social Research (EKKE), on the impact of reception and accommodation policies on refugees’ settlement and practices of sociospatial belonging
- Dimitra Siatitsa: Postdoctoral researcher on urban and housing studies (National Technical University of Athens/National Centre for Social Research – EKKE), on the need to enhance public intervention in housing, control speculation, and develop a permanently affordable housing stock in Greece, with a key role for local authorities and the third sector.
Step 3: Vote on Recommendations
November 12–19
Look at all the recommendations from the different groups and vote for the ones you like best.
Step 4: Participate in the Closing Celebration
November 20, 14:00–15:00 CET
Join the online plenary to learn about the top-voted recommendations and learn what happens next with these recommendations.
Who Can Participate?
We’re looking for diverse voices, including:
- People from diverse backgrounds who care about housing
- Members of migrant communities
- Young people, students, and young professionals interested in housing and social issues
- Anyone who has faced housing challenges — as a tenant, homeowner, or person searching for a home or wants to contribute with ideas
- Those who simply want to contribute to building fairer communities
Participation is free of charge, and certificates of attendance will be provided. The discussion will be held in English.
Learn more about the process here.
For more information about the online citizens’ dialogue, please contact us at [email protected].