HORIS joined the UIPI and Save the Homes webinar series ‘Let’s Talk One Stop Shops’ for an insightful discussion about the supply side of OSSs.
The rollout of OSS is a key part of the European Commission’s strategy to boost Europe’s renovation rate.
➡️ The Renovation Wave Strategy – renovate 35 million dwellings by 2030.
➡️ EPBD – requires member states to establish an OSS per 80,000 inhabitants in their territory.
To reach these targets, we have much to learn about developing successful OSSs from existing projects; what are some of their useful discoveries along the way?
During the webinar, we heard from two Save the Homes pilots in Rotterdam and Valencia. The first rule of OSS is that no two are the same, everything depends on the local context, and it was very interesting to hear about the different approaches these cities took and see the roadmaps.
Some special features:
🇳🇱 In Rotterdam
- A bottom-up approach
- Professional supervisor working in the community
- A renovation collective of homeowners working on small projects
🇪🇸 In Valencia
- A focus on advice and dissemination activities
- Provided a validated register of professionals
- Physical OSS
- Building trust and confidence: organised visits to renovated buildings and set up a citizen school for homeowners in the process of renovation.
Main takeaways from the Save the Homes project:
- Start local: begin by establishing a strong network of local actors
- Channel funding effectively – how can you make the most of the funds available to you?
- Take the time to develop a strong value proposition- how to ensure the entire customer experience is a worthwhile one.
- Digital solutions are needed! A strong online platform can help get people interested in the OSS.
- Consider different revenue streams – how to make the business model viable?
Final Thoughts
Since the session focused on the supply side of OSS, participants highlighted the challenges of finding professionals to collaborate with OSS. In particular, motivating smaller contractors and craftsmen to be involved. The suggested next step for OSS is to connect homeowners with smaller contractors and local craftsmen and incentivise them to carry out renovations in addition to new construction projects.
We would like to thank Save the Homes and UIPI for organising this thought-provoking webinar.
