SHICC winner of a REGIOSTARS award!

For twelve years now, the REGIOSTARS have been Europe’s awards to EU-funded projects which demonstrate excellence and new approaches in regional development. The goal is to inspire other regions and project managers across the continent.


Our Interreg North-West Europe project SHICC – Sustainable Housing for Inclusive and Cohesive Cities – won the 2020’s edition of the competition in the category ‘Citizens’ engagement for cohesive cities’. Many European cities are faced with a housing affordability crisis. The SHICC project addresses this burning issue by supporting the establishment of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in four cities across North-West Europe: Brussels, London, Ghent and Lille. Those successful pilots act as pioneering examples with 89 families who have become owners so far. CLTs are democratic organisations which develop and manage homes that are affordable – and remain forever so – to people with low and median incomes. CLTs create cohesive neighbourhoods through community and resident involvement. 

Based on their successful results after a few years of implementation, the SHICC project obtained some additional funding through Interreg NWE’s first call for capitalisation. This will lead to the development of an ecosystem for future CLTs in countries, regions and cities not involved in the project at first – Ireland, Scotland, Amsterdam and Berlin. An interface with businesses operating on CLT land (such as social businesses, grocery shops) will also be created. The project will as well deliver a report on funding options for CLTs.

 

 

 

“We want people to have the opportunity to live in all cities – even the biggest and more expensive ones […] by having access to ownership”

Audrey Linkenheld, 1st deputy mayor of the city of Lille

Six European Commissioners hosted the online ceremony remotely in the framework of the 18th edition of the EURegionsWeek. SHICC’s prize was announced by Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová (CZ) who insisted on the relevance of Cohesion Policy projects to achieve good governance. “SHICC is a model case of social innovation […], creates a supportive regulatory environment and builds institutional capacity” the Commissioner asserted. She highlighted the participative dimension of the project therefore improving the democratic process. Geert De Pauw from Community Land Trust Bruxelles, one of the two Belgian partners in the project, testified of the growing interest in and development of CLTs in the EU, a housing model for and by the community.

 

Two other NWE projects won a REGIOSTARS award in this programming period: Bio Base NWE in 2017 and Climate Active Neighbourhoods last year.
In 2020, another project funded by a transnational programme won: ENERGY@SCHOOL, financed by Interreg Central Europe.

Key figures of the 2020 edition of the REGIOSTARS

  • 206 applicants (highest number ever)
  • 25 finalists among which 2 NWE projects: SeRaMCo in the category Circular Economy for a green Europe & SHICC
  • 6 categories:
    - Industrial transition for a smart Europe
    - Circular economy for a green Europe
    - Skills & education for a digital Europe
    - Citizen engagement for cohesive European cities
    - Topic of the year: Youth empowerment for cooperation across border - 30 years of Interreg
    - Public choice
  • 3 jury members per category (high-level academics) - and Lambert Van Nistelrooij (former MEP) as chair - who deliberated online.

 

Interested in knowing more?

Watch the ceremony
Visit SHICC’s website
More on the SHICC project
Discover SeRaMCo
All about the REGIOSTARS

Share this

Tweet Share