METREX SAH Expert Group Panel Session at the ISHF 2025 in Dublin

We’re pleased to announce that METREX SAH Expert Group will run a panel session at the International Social Housing Festival (ISHF) 2025, taking place in Dublin on the 5th of June. Our proposal was prepared with the technical support of Claudia Murray, SAH coordinator.

Under the sub-theme “The role of land in the provision of social and affordable housing,” the session—titled “Affordability Stories: New Perspectives on the Role of Land in Social and Affordable Housing Development”—will bring together stories from across Europe, showcasing how innovative land tenure strategies can address the affordability crisis. Speakers will share concrete experiences, highlighting the challenges faced, solutions adopted, and lessons learned in using land as a lever for inclusive and sustainable housing.

Programme

Moderator: José Manuel Ferreira, Housing policy expert, Portugal

Introduction
Henk Bouwman, METREX Secretary General

The Story of Dutch Land Policy and the Plan Benefit Levy
with Michiel Boesveld, Coordinator Housing Development Policy, Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning, NL

The story of Berlin: Social housing and land use policies in Berlin since 2010
with André Moschke, Berlin’s Liaison Office to the EU

Land policy tools for promoting social and affordable housing in the Helsinki region
with Elisa Ranta and Tomi Henriksson, City of Vantaa, Finland

Social housing and segregation – learning from our own mistakes
with Ann-Kristiin Entson, City of Tallinn, Estonia

Open discussion with the public

Conclusions
by José Manuel Ferreira, Housing policy expert, Portugal

Closing
by Henk Bouwman, METREX Secretary General

Meet the speakers

Michiel Boesveld, Coordinator Housing Development Policy, Ministry of the Interior, The Netherlands
As a senior adviser, Michiel is at the forefront of housing and land policy reform in the Netherlands, merging legislative innovation with practical solutions to address the nation’s housing challenges. With extensive experience in property development and land policy, he advises on effective strategies at the highest levels of government. Previously, as a senior policy advisor for the City of Amsterdam, Michiel pioneered new methods for land grants and the renewal of the city’s ground lease system.

André Moschke, Berlin’s Liaison Office to the EU
André Moschke has been working for the Senate of Berlin since 2014. His positions in the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing included the Housing Coordination Office and the Housing Policy Unit, where he worked on funding programmes for social housing and housing cooperatives. He also managed the office of the Senate’s “Expert Commission on Socialisation of large Housing Companies”. He currently works as a policy officer in Berlin’s Liaison Office to the EU in Brussels.

Elisa Ranta, Head of Housing Affairs, City of Vantaa, Finland
In her work, she is involved in the development of residential areas and housing policy issues. Her area of interest is ensuring affordable housing production and promoting the well-being of city residents.

Tomi Henriksson, Head of Real Estate Development, City of Vantaa, Finland
The tasks of the unit he leads include the city’s land and housing policy, land acquisition and plot allocation. Together, the Unit strives to ensure social balance in residential areas.

Ann-Kristiin Entson, City of Tallinn, Estonia

We look forward to contributing to the ISHF’s theme of “Storytelling” by amplifying local voices and sharing insights that can inspire new approaches across Europe.