Rolf Bastiaanseen, Publiq CEO and founder of Essential Housing, will moderate an expert panel on accelerating affordable housing at Europe’s leading impact investment conference.
At Impact Europe‘s Impact Week in Bilbao, the panel – hosted by Erste Social Finance – will discuss how impact investment funds can speed up the building of high-quality affordable housing.
Affordable and social housing remain existential challenges to Europe. 1 in 10 city-based Europeans live in a household spending more than 40% of income on housing costs. Around 900,000 people are experiencing homelessness.
The talk will explore whether impact investment is the key to an affordable housing boom in Europe.
Rolf is also the founder of Essential Housing, a Publiq venture designing commercial approach to affordable living that redefines impact investing in the rental market.
By focusing on minimum viable returns for investors and financiers, Essential significantly reduces rents for tenants.
The company acquires existing apartments in urban centers, offering rents at 80% of market prices with stability guaranteed for 10 years or more. With a long-term investment horizon of at least 20 years, Essential creates a sustainable housing solution. This innovative model addresses a critical need in a market that has seen over 90% rent increases in the past five years and lacks sufficient public initiatives to meet demand.
Rolf outlined the aim for Housing Europe to stabilise long-term rental prices in a spiralling housing market in a recent interview with Impact Europe.
Essential Housing aims to offer housing at cost price level and stabilise rents for the long term. Rents are now 37% below market rents. The average family saves over €150 per month; that goes a long way in our part of Portugal, where incomes of €1,000 are the norm.
Having a stable home really changes lives. Instead of annual rent increases or forced exits, we see people that start a family or think about home improvements. As landlords, we get birthday invites and birth cards. I hope that is a signal we are doing something right.
– Rolf Bastiaanssen, CEO of Publiq and Founder of Essential Housing