Upcycling substandard buildings into affordable housing with Community Land Trusts

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2025-05-12

Description

Description (EN):

The housing crisis affecting many cities in the region is calling for the production of more affordable housing. Building new housing is often in conflict with many cities' circular strategies, including the preservation of existing open space, and the reduction of building resources. In parallel, the need for renovation of the housing stock to meet climate targets is both a challenge and an opportunity. With the Upcycling Trust project, we want to explore how the combination of (1) a thorough, circular renovation approach and (2) the decomodification of housing (taking housing off the market so that it cannot be sold at a profit) can lead to more sustainable and affordable cities in a structural way. Moreover, by putting local communities at the heart of the system, we aim to contribute to the resilience of cities. The Community Land Trust (CLT) model offers an innovative, hybrid form of ownership suitable for such an approach. Although more and more CLTs are emerging in the region, they have so far mainly focused on new construction. CLTs in Cork, Ghent, Lille, Rennes and Brussels want to test this new upcycling strategy and use a circular approach to the renovation. These CLTs will set up pilots where legal, organisational, technical and financial strategies will be developed, and the first homes will be upcycled. This will benefit some 150 low income families who will be able to live in these homes, while saving, expressed in monetary terms according to the Belgian MMG and TOTEM method, 745.000€ of environmental impact. Based on the experiences of the pilots, and by involving local and regional authorities as well as academic partners, we will use our findings to develop new urban policy. The context in which many cities are looking for strategies to address the housing crisis, strengthen the urban fabric and achieve climate goals, the upcycling trust model offers an innovative, structural approach that can accelerate a just urban transition.

Actual Achievements (EN):

During the first half-year of implementation of our project, partners were predominantly focused on “preparing the terrain” for the realisation of its constitutive activities. All partners have met in Lille on the 14th and 15th February, for a seminar organised by the NWE programme. The seminar provided both seasoned and first-time partners with a fair insight into Interreg NWE’s project rules and the utilisation of JEMS. On the 17th and 18th April, the partnership met once again in Lille, this time for the project’s Kick-Off event. Organised by the City of Lille, CLT Brussels and VUB, the occasion counted the second physical meetings attended by all project partners. Along with helping forging connections between those present, the Kick-Off was the ideal occasion for discussing and agreeing upon several aspects related to the project’s management and implementation, there including the project’s governance, task distribution, project reporting, temporality of meetings and production of deliverables. Also, discussions on the possibility of easing up the role of Habiter 2030 as leader of WP1 were held. Inheriting a practice already adopted in the project SHICC (NWE 2014-2020), Upcycling Trust (UT) benefits from a cooperation between its lead partner and one another partner to co-manage the project. The City of Lille and CLT Brussels have been working in tandem for that purpose, together forming UT’s Management Committee. On average, formal meetings between the two structures were organised every month since the project started, and the members keep regular contact with each other between such encounters. To facilitate the storage and the exchange of information within the partnership, CLTB has set up a sharing tool, which is widely used by the partners. Regarding deliverables, the project succeeded in producing 2 of the 4 elements due on this first RP, namely the Risk Management Plan (RMP) and the project’s Communication Strategy. The Overview of Best Practices, along with the registry of its related development sessions, could not be realised within the planned time, mainly because of an unexpected recruitment issue within the relevant Work Package leader. Brussels, Lille and Rennes have managed to secure the sites for their respective pilot operations. There have been setbacks on securing the pilots sites for Cork and Ghent, however both had already identified new potential sites by end-June.

Project outputs: Pilot actions on decommodification and renovation of homes, using the Upcylcing Trust model in the 5 pilot cities(EN)
A building related solution to enable the development of Ucycling Trust model(EN)
jointly developed strategy on community aspects of the Upcycling Trust model.(EN)
A coproduction model in the field of governance, community building and communication(EN)
Roll out strategy for the Upcycling Trust Model(EN)
Website: http://upcyclingtrust.nweurope.eu

Thematic information

Urban development Construction and renovation

Priority: (VI-B_NWE_4) Improving territorial resilience in NWE through innovative and smart transformation

Priority specific objective: RSO1.1. Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 026 Support for innovation clusters including between businesses, research organisations and public authorities and business networks primarily benefiting SMEs

Partners (11)

Lead Partner: Ville de Lille

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 940793107

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR96215903501 | SIRET21590350100017

Department: Housing Department

Address: Place Augustin Laurent, 59033 Lille, France

Department address: Place Augustin Laurent, 59033 Lille, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.lille.fr

Total budget: EUR 544 954.37

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 326 972.62

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 217 981.75

Fondation d'Utilité Public CLTB

Name: Fondation d'Utilité Public CLTB

Department: General

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 878855988

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 0501 902 051

Address: Avenue de la Toison d'Or, 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium

Department address: Avenue de la Toison d'Or, 1060 Brussels, Belgium

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.cltb.be

Total budget: EUR 131 210.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 78 726.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 52 484.00

Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí

Name: Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí

Department: Strategic & Economic Development Directorate

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 986290763

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 0005426M – IE

Address: Anglesea St., T12 T997 Cork, Ireland

Department address: Anglesea St., T12 T997 Cork, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.corkcity.ie

Total budget: EUR 173 086.20

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 103 851.72

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 69 234.48

Métropole Européenne de Lille

Name: Métropole Européenne de Lille

Department: Housing Departement

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 928651617

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR62200093201 | SIREN : 200 093 201

Address: Boulevard des Cités Unies, CS 70043 59800 CEDEX Lille, France

Department address: Boulevard des Cités Unies, CS 70043 59800 CEDEX Lille, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: http://www.lillemetropole.fr

Total budget: EUR 102 229.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 61 337.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 40 891.60

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Name: Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Department: Cosmopolis and Architectural Engineering

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999902094

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE 0449 012 406

Address: Pleinlaan , 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Department address: pleinlaan, 1050 Brussel, Belgium

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.vub.be/nl

Total budget: EUR 785 498.07

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 471 298.84

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 314 199.23

Self Organised Architecture Research CLG

Name: Self Organised Architecture Research CLG

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 884011732

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 3594752VH | 627719 (Company number)

Address: Fumbally Exchange, Argus House, Blackpitts, D08 Y273 Dublin, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.soa.ie

Total budget: EUR 447 257.30

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 268 354.38

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 178 902.92

Rennes Metropole

Name: Rennes Metropole

Department: Housing/circular economy

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 892062829

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR25 243 500 139 | 243 500 139

Address: avenue Henri Fréville, 35031 Rennes, France

Department address: avenue Henri Fréville, 35031 Rennes, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://metropole.rennes.fr

Total budget: EUR 392 450.36

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 235 470.21

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 156 980.15

Habiter 2030

Name: Habiter 2030

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 879296271

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR 828726703 | SIRET 82872670300014

Address: rue Verte, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.habiter2030.com

Total budget: EUR 361 982.03

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 217 189.21

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 144 792.82

Contractors:

Name: MES VOISINES et L ECLAIREUSE
VAT registration or tax identification number: FR48843881194

Lille Metropole Habitat

Name: Lille Metropole Habitat

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 891343671

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR30413782509 | SIRET21590350100017

Address: Boulevard Gambetta, 59200 TOURCOING, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Enterprise, except SME

Website: https://www.lmh.fr/

Total budget: EUR 537 467.18

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 322 480.30

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 214 986.88

Contractors:

Name: MAGEO
VAT registration or tax identification number: 20%

Community Land Trust Gent

Name: Community Land Trust Gent

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 879085550

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE 0545.886.801

Address: Blaisantvest, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.cltgent.be

Total budget: EUR 570 564.64

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 342 338.78

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 228 225.86

ASBL Community Land Trust Bruxelles

Name: ASBL Community Land Trust Bruxelles

Department: general

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 928200276

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE 0834.097.357

Address: Avenue de la Toison d'Or , 1060 Brussels, Belgium

Department address: Avenue de la Toison d'Or , 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.cltb.be

Total budget: EUR 1 159 833.53

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 695 900.11

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 463 933.42

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Operation of strategic importance (OSI) or above EUR 5 million

Project name (EN): Upcycling substandard buildings into affordable housing with Community Land Trusts

Project acronym: Upcycling Trust

Project ID: NWE0200273

Project start date: 2024-01-01

Project end date: 2028-12-31

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

SHICC (interreg NWE, 2017-2021) (EN) | The project builds on the expertise accumulated through SHICC, an earlier Interreg NWE project. That project led to the new vision of home ownership that is the basis of the CLT model being introduced
within the region, and to the growth of the number of urban CLTs from 30 to more than 300. The knowledge of SHICC that will be used in this project includes the legal assembly of CLT projects, their
financing and how to involve the community. Also, we will use what we learned throughout the SHICC project to successfully promote and roll out an innovative model in the wider region, and we will be able to build on the ecosystem that has emerged through the SHICC project. The Upcycling trust project is structured in a similar way to SHICC, with Lille and Brussels leading the partnership, and public and civic organisations working closely together to implement jointly developed methods locally, in their urban context.
(EN), Calico (UIA, 2018-2021) (EN) | The project draws on available knowledge (on co-creation, monitoring and project development) gained during the Care-and-Living-in-Community Calico project, a UIA supported cohousing project with cohousing for the elderly, women, and people with low income groups, based on the Community Land Trust formula. Both CLTB and Cosmopolis, VUB were involved in this project. While CLTB took care of the development of the housing project, VUB monitored the project, and developed policy recommendations based on the experiences and governance model applied in the project. (EN), Soholab (JPI, 2017-2020) (EN) | Involvement of underprivileged groups: In the JPI Urban Europe project ‘SoHoLab’ - the regeneration of large-scale Social Housing Estates, in which Cosmopolis, VUB was the main coordinator, Cosmopolis adopted a living lab approach in order to study how local communities could be better involved in the regeneration of their own housing. Through the project, they acquired expertise about the involvement of, and communication with underprivileged groups in regeneration processes, including knowledge about novel participatory approaches, as well as challenges related to participation and communication. (EN), ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing (Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent (UIA, 2018-2021) (EN) | With this project, the houses of 100 households in Ghent will be refurbished. Candidates will be unburdened and supported technically, financially, administratively and socially. Due to the renovations, the general quality of living of the households and of the neighbourhoods in our city are improving. ICCARus uses a revolving fund, which makes it possible to reinvest some of the public money used for renovation, but doesn’t guarantee permanent affordability. CLT Ghent was involved in the "Dampoort Knapt Op" project that preceded ICCARus and is, through its partnership with ICCARus partner Samenlevingsopbouw, still connected to the project. (EN), SOLAR DECATHLON EUROPE 2019 (SDE2019) (EN) | The school of Architecture of Lille with the association Habiter 2030 have won the SDE 2019.
H2030 distinguished itself in particular on three criteria:
circularity and sustainability, urban integration and impact, and the energy balance.
The team has tackled issue of terraced townhouses, of which there are approximately seven hundred
thousand in the Hauts-de-France region. These generally brick houses, characteristic of the
industrial period and often poorly insulated, today require massive rehabilitation to actively fight against global warming.
For two years, two hundred students, architects, engineers, designers, political scientists and young Compagnons have build a replica of the townhouses which optimises its construction from an energy point of view. They proposed insulation, favoring the floor and the roof, using ecological products made from recycled cotton, prepared with coatings based on of hemp, curtains to modulate the spaces according to the uses and the seasons. A greenhouse makes it possible to enlarge the house on the garden. Engineers have equipped the house with sophisticated technologies.
During the two weeks of competition, the solar and thermal panels produced more electricity than the house consumed. Other schools and universities in Hauts de France worked on the social, urban and economic integration of the project.
The design of energy rehabilitation goes beyond technique, and is a real architectural, human project, and a source of employment and training for all those involved in the construction industry. The multiple partners of this demonstrator learned the lessons from the prototype, developed the research and continued the experimentation on real houses for residents who suffer from fuel poverty.
(EN), EUCF (EN) | EUropean City Facility: In 2021, the “Métropole Européenne de Lille” (MEL) was selected by second CALL EUCF on a partnership project called "group renovation program of 1930 houses on the MEL" carried out by MEL, Habiter2030, CD2E, cities of Lille and Roubaix, and urban planners specialised in retrofitting policies.
The”main objective was to define an investment concept aimed at deploying a global renovation model for houses from the industrial era in Northern Europe, inspired by the Habiter2030 renovation model.
Tasks funded by the EUCF grant
- Design a “turnkey” service for the inhabitant.
- Conduct market research to clarify the positioning of the service offer and its price.
- Co-construct the service offer using Design Thinking methods to specify
-- The content of a “half-measure” renovation offer
-- The marketing strategy
-- The tools and resources needed to pool renovations and thus industrialise and increase construction starts within the same district
Habiter2030 commitments
- Provide partners with the results of the SDE2019 for the needs of the project and ensure the transfer of knowledge (done)
- Provide Partners with the results of the Rénostandard project for the needs of the project and ensure the transfer of knowledge (done)
- Ensure the relationship with the actors of teaching and research (done)
- Ensure the mobilization of students, teachers and Habiter2030 members around the project
- Analyze the expectations of households thanks to the mobilisation of groups of inhabitants (EN), FEEL (Interreg Europe) (EN) | From 2023-2027, Cork City Council is a partner on the ‘Frugal cities through Energy Efficiency and Low-tech communities’ project. This is examining, testing and implementing a range of ultra-simple approaches to reduce carbon emissions and resource use in the renovation of buildings, neighbourhoods and delivery of associated urban services, including through eco-design and pioneering new business models. The project is based around using the concept of technological sufficiency - deploying the least sophisticated and least expensive solutions possible without diminishing the quality of the intervention’s end result - allied with enhanced community engagement, as a means to meet green transition needs while increasing the collective benefit and public acceptance across 8 European cities and regions. (EN), Granby Four Streets (EN) | "Granby Four Streets is an ongoing community-led project to rebuild Granby, a Liverpool neighbourhood that was nearly made derelict by decades of poorly-planned regeneration initiatives. The demolition of all but four of Granby’s streets of Victorian terraces during decades of ‘regeneration’ initiatives left the remaining “Granby Four Streets” sparsely populated and filled with tinned up houses. In 2011, Granby residents entered into an innovative form of community land ownership, the Granby Four Streets CLT with the intention of bringing empty homes back into use as affordable housing. Assemble worked with the Granby Four Streets CLT and Steinbeck Studios to present a sustainable and incremental vision for the area that builds on the hard work already done by local residents and translates it to the refurbishment of housing, public space and the provision of new work and enterprise opportunities" (https://assemblestudio.co.uk/projects/granby-four-streets-2) (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 5 206 532.68

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 123 919.57

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 3 123 919.57. Co-financing rate, 60.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Infrastructure investments:

I1.4 - Demonstrator Gent - EUR 130 000.00 - country: Belgique/België (BE), Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen (BE23), Arr. Gent (BE234)
I1.3 - Demonstrator Cork - EUR 82 927.80 - country: Éire/Ireland (IE), street: Site TBC, Southern (IE05), South-West (IE053)
I1.2 - Demonstrator Lille - EUR 130 000.00 - country: France, town: LILLE, street: Rue Fleming, 19 , 25 or 27, postal_code: 59000, Nord-Pas de Calais (FRE1), Nord (FRE11)
I1.1 - Demonstrator Brussels - EUR 130 000.00 - country: Belgique/België (BE), Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (BE10), Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale/Arr. Brussel-Hoofdstad (BE100)

Deliverables:

Overview best practices
Meeting minutes and agenda
publications and manuals on architectural solutions
List of environmental benchmarks
Report on funding and valorisation solutions and financial benchmark
At least 7 demonstrator homes
Communication tools to showcase the demonstrator homes
Risk management plan
Communication content on the results
Specific communication content focused on local stakeholders
Best practice overview
peer-to-peer sessions
Report on findings of the sessions
Scenarios for the multi stakeholder implementation of the upcycling model for each pilot
Baseline measurement tools
Research input for policy recommendations
action plan
toolkit
Local case studies
At least one demonstrator home in every pilot location
open days in demonstrator homes
comprehensive impact report
ToolKIT
A report with policy recommendations for implementing the model in policy of pilot cities
A set of general recommendations for governments that also want to integrate it into their policies.
conference presentations and documentation
A high level closing conference
European policy paper
Meetings with relevant stakeholders
A document with the communication strategy
Meetings with relevant stakeholders
Outreach to local media

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Programme Result Indicator:

PSR 1: Organisations with increased institutional capacity due to their participation in cooperation activities across borders, Measurement unit: Organisations

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-05-12

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

70 / 70 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

739 / 739 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Upcycling substandard buildings into affordable housing with Community Land Trusts

Description

Thematic information

Partners (11)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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