New financing models for bio-based social housing

In the Accounting Framework for Bio-based Construction, Holland Houtland presents a new blended finance and valuation model to support housing corporations and others involved in the development of social housing projects in the Netherlands to choose for bio-based materials.

In addition to the framework, Holland Houtland founders Chantal van Schaik and Sandra Nap also discussed the wider issue in this talkshow, hosted by Lucas de Man, about reducing living impacts on global warming. They explain what makes the right conditions for biobased housing projects in the Netherlands, and how bio-based materials could help address a country-wide question: "How can we build one million homes while not contributing to further worsen climate change?”

Both the framework and the video present Holland Houtland’s response to this question, and how it is possible to combine what they call 'Opportunity and Comfort’ – building for the highest socio-environmental values instead of tendering for the lowest price. They explain that it can be achieved by:

• Building only what is required and doing so within existing residential areas through densification,
• Using fewer raw materials, and when doing so, choosing bio-based,
• Building housing that is aligned with the Paris Agreement CO2 budget,
• Achieving affordable housing through alternative processes of tendering and building.