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(Kalush, Ukraine – 30 April, 2026) Even as the war continues, Ukraine is rebuilding—not only its infrastructure, but also its communities. In the western Ukrainian city of Kalush, an abandoned kindergarten has been transformed into 48 modern, affordable apartments, providing homes for around 150 people. What was once an empty public building for over 20 years is now a vibrant residential complex for internally displaced families.

This May, London will become one of only two cities outside the United States to host Habitat for Humanity’s extraordinary global pop-up experience, Let’s Open the Door — an immersive art installation designed to spark conversation, inspire action and remind us all why home matters.

For two days only, on May 29 and 30, 2026, visitors in Covent Garden will have the chance to step into a one-of-a-kind exhibition featuring striking artistic doors, real homeowner stories and a global call to action around the housing crisis.

This year, employees of Georg Fischer in Loosdorf, Austria, will once again lace up their walking shoes for a cause that reaches far beyond the trail ahead of them. On 11 June 2026, as part of the global GF Walk for Water 2026 initiative, colleagues, partners, and supporters will come together in a powerful expression of solidarity — raising awareness and funds to help families gain access to something many of us take for granted every day: safe water, sanitation, and a healthy place to call home.

As housing finally rises on the EU’s political agenda, one question remains largely unanswered: where do Europe’s most marginalised communities – especially Roma – fit into the European affordable housing agenda?

For decades, housing sat at the margins of EU policy, constrained by Treaty limits and fragmented national competences. That era is ending. Today, housing affordability, availability, and adequacy are discussed at the highest political levels, with new initiatives, task forces, and funding debates underway. This is a welcome shift, but it also creates a responsibility: when the EU sets the direction, it must ensure no one is left behind. At present, Roma housing risks being exactly that: left behind.

Empty Spaces News is the official hub for updates, articles, and insights on the project’s progress, featuring developments from both Poland and Great Britain.

Habitat for Humanity works with many foundations to eradicate poverty housing. Our foundation partners’ donations help us to continue providing families with homes and the hope of a better life. We are grateful for their kind support.

Habitat for Humanity works with many companies to eradicate poverty housing. Our corporate partners’ donations of funds or services help us to continue providing families with homes and the hope of a better life. We are grateful for their kind support.

The Resources page offers a curated collection of materials, guides, and tools to support and inform the Empty Spaces to Homes project.

For two remarkable days, Covent Garden became a gathering place where reflection, conversation and connection unfolded through art, storytelling and shared experiences. On May 29–30, Habitat for Humanity’s global public art installation Let’s Open the Door arrived in London, transforming one of the city’s busiest public spaces into an immersive experience exploring what home means, why it matters and why everyone deserves one. As one of only two international cities selected to host the campaign outside the United States, London joined a global movement that has already inspired audiences in New York, Washington D.C., Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago. Through striking artistic doors, real homeowner stories and opportunities for public participation, the installation invited thousands of people to consider a simple but profound question: What does home mean to you?

Across Europe, millions of buildings stand empty while people struggle to find affordable places to live. HFHI conducted this research to better understand which financial mechanisms and models are most effective in converting vacant spaces into affordable housing. Looking across different European cities, the study examines how tools like loans, grants, revolving funds, and blended finance actually perform in practice - and why some approaches succeed while others fall short.