Ghent

Housing

ICCARus (Gent knapt op) - Improving housing Conditions for CAptive Residents in Ghent

“With this project, we renovate the houses of 100 households in Ghent. Candidates will be unburdened and supported technically, financially, administrative and socially. Due to the renovations, the general quality of living of the households and of the neighbourhoods in our city are improving. By using a recurring fund, the public finance is not only used for a limited group, but can be used over and over again to fight this main urban challenge."

Sven Taeldeman, Alderman for urban development, spatial planning and housing
The project in numbers
15.5%
of the inhabitants live in poverty
10.000
households in Ghent are captive residents, which corresponds to 6000 houses
100
houses of captive residents will be renovated with ICCARus
EUR 30.000
will be the starting capital for each renovation
EUR 4,799,547.36
Total ERDF budget granted
Challenge addressed

Ghent is suffering from a lack of affordable, qualitative housing for people with low income. In Ghent, 15.5% or 39.761 of the inhabitants live in poverty. Concerning housing, the alternatives for citizens with low income are limited. The affordable market segment for these people is shrinking quickly. They are stuck in houses that are unsafe, of poor quality, not energy-efficient and not adapted to people’s physical needs. ‘Caught’ in bad living conditions, we call these people ‘captive residents’. 10.000 households in Ghent are captive residents, which corresponds to 6.000 houses.
Without outside intervention the situation is getting worse, for these citizens, their future and the neighbourhood. So the main urban challenge is to renovate houses of captive residents. Therefore we use an innovative, integrated and tailor-made policy approach.

Solution proposed

Our proposed solution is to renovate 100 houses of captive residents in Ghent. For each renovation we provide a starting capital of 30.000 Euro. Before, during and after the renovation process, captive residents will be unburdened and supported technically, financially, administrative and socially. 

We’ll use an innovative financial instrument to make a renovation possible for this low income target group. By using a recurring fund, the public finance is not only used for a limited group, but can be used over and over again to fight this main urban challenge. This project will create, shape and optimize this financial policy instrument.

Partnership
  • City of Ghent
  • OCMW Gent - social services provider
  • KU Leuven - higher education and research institute
  • UGent - higher education and research institute
  • AP Hogeschool Antwerpen - higher education and research institute
  • Samenlevingsopbouw Gent - NGO
  • Domus Mundi - NGO
  • REGent - NGO
Expected results

By renovating 100 houses in Gent, 100 captive households will not be stuck in their bad housing conditions anymore, because their housing situation will be improved. All participants in the project will be empowered and will have made progress on other domains such as health, rational energy-use, social network, social-economic position, etc.

The renovation of 100 houses in socially deprived neighbourhoods will lead to more sustainability and a better energy performance in those neighourhoods. Because of the integrated approach we also improve the community and social cohesion between the citizens. 

After the project period there will be created a smart, innovative and effective policy package and an operational recurring fund to tackle the bad housing conditions of captive residents in Ghent. Through research, we are developing a transferable model. It is clear which new target groups can be included in the model and we have an overview of the social return of investment.

Main milestones

May 2019: recruitment of the captive residents in different neighbourhoods. All preparations are made, the recurring fund and the financial management are operational.
June 2019: the feasibility study for new target groups (captive tenants, co-owners and people with disabilities or elderly people in need for home adjustments) has ended. We start with an adjusted communication strategy and guidelines.
November 2019: the first 30 captive owners are selected for a house renovation. At the same time we start with the recruitment of new target groups. 
April 2020: 30 new captive owners are recruited. We start a new round of house renovations.
July 2020: the final 40 candidates are recruited (new target group) and the final round of house renovations starts.

The project in numbers
15.5%
of the inhabitants live in poverty
10.000
households in Ghent are captive residents, which corresponds to 6000 houses
100
houses of captive residents will be renovated with ICCARus
EUR 30.000
will be the starting capital for each renovation
EUR 4,799,547.36
Total ERDF budget granted
Contact of the project
Derkien De Baets
Project coordinator - Housing Department City of Ghent
Martha Giannakopoulou
UIA Expert

Project news & events

exhibition

Ghent Knapt Op Journal 4: final updates and new beginnings for Ghent’s housing renovation project

After almost 4 years of intensive work and challenging times, Ghent Knapt Op came to a successful end in spring 2022. The project started in 2019 as a...
Meeting

Ghent Knapt Op ends but renovation stories continue

Although Ghent Knapt Op has come to an end, many participants continue to take on house renovations. Ghent Knapt Op has made a significant positive im...
Housing renovation

“Ghent knapt op”: An end and a new beginning!

Ghent knap Op celebrates the end of a successful innovative project on upgrading and renovating homes of vulnerable citizens 'captive owners&#039...
The ICCARus project has come to an end!

The ICCARus project has come to an end!

The ICCARus-team and participants toasted to the finalisation of the ICCARus project. It has been challenging to carry out so many housing renovation ...
OCWM

Ghent Knapt Op takes on another challenge: ‘Non-take-up’

More than 500 people from the City of Ghent have been interested in taking part in the Ghent Knapt Op project and on improving their housing condition...
Eligibility

Gent Knap Op - Zoom in N°3 Improving Housing Conditions

The third Zoom-in dives in the representation of the life cycle of the project through infographic diagrams and explanatory illustrations. The diagram...
renovation

Ghent Knap Op Journal 3: The Seven Challenges

Like many cities, Ghent suffers a lack of affordable housing: high-quality and energy-efficient homes. Quality homes that are affordable are scarce in...
img final event

Final event of award winning project ICCARus on March 14, 2022

The European project ICCARus (Improving Housing Conditions for Captive Residents in Ghent) known as 'Gent knapt op' wants to improve the qua...
img

ICCARus (Gent Knapt Op) wins the REGIOSTARS Award in the category Green Europe!

The REGIOSTARS Awards are a yearly competition, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, since 2008. ...
wood

Ghent Knapt Op: Construction during Covid-19

As in most countries globally, commodity prices for building materials have risen in recent months. Anyone who is building or renovating has already s...
accessibility

ICCARus (Gent knapt op): Accessible Homes, Accessible City

A view to a life-long living for seniors and vulnerable citizens. The City of Ghent puts at the forefront accessibility by making homes adaptable for...
Iccarus project news

Helping people to happy homes – ICCARUS interview in Salto

ICCARUS was featured in the Italian online news portal salto.bz, which has a specific series – “Start Europe Up”. ...
CORONAVIRUS-PROOF COMMUNITY BUILDING  How to connect people despite the current Covid-19 pandemic restrictions

Coronavirus-Proof Community Building in Ghent

How to connect people despite the current Covid-19 pandemic restrictions? Ghent Knapt Op is a pilot project that not only sets up a new financial sys...
Recurring Fund

'From House to Home' The Recurring Fund: A sustainable future for low-income housing renovations?

The Gent Knapt Op (ICCARus) pilot project focuses on the renovation of existing substandard homes of vulnerable homeowners. The project aims to renova...
Gent Knapt Op Journal 2: Five homes renovated and handed over

Gent Knapt Op Journal 2: Five homes renovated and handed over

UIA Expert Martha Giannakopoulou reveals how “Gent Knapt Op launched a series of open calls (waves) and employed an intense communication strategy. Th...
community design

Ghent Knapt Op CO-DESIGNS with residents and delivers its first housing renovations

As Ghent suffers a lack of affordable housing and rising housing prices, the Ghent Knapt Op project aims to renovate houses for vulnerable families an...
Ghent Zoom-in 1: From House to Home

Ghent Zoom-in 1: From House to Home

UIA Expert Martha Giannakopoulou “focuses on the most intricate and complicated part of the ICCARus (Gent Knapt Op) project so far: the selection crit...
housing is a human right

Cities engaging in the right to housing

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) and URBACT are joining forces to push the right to housing...
Mobile info point

GENT KNAPT OP SPREADS THE WORD AROUND THE CITY

Gent, a city of 260,000 inhabitants just outside of Brussels, Belgium, is like many cities: it faces the problem of not enough affordable and quality ...
ICCARUS (Gent Knapt Op) Journal 1: Up and running!

ICCARUS (Gent Knapt Op) Journal 1: Up and running!

UIA Expert Martha Giannakopoulou shows how the project “addresses not only the provision of adequate healthy housing for vulnerable citizens but also ...
The first 25 participants of ‘Gent knapt op’ signed their contract

The first 25 participants of ‘Gent knapt op’ signed their contract

In November ’19 the first 25 participants of ‘Gent knapt op’ signed their contract. This means that 25 households with a renovation need will have a b...
asdasda

The first 25 renovations begin and a ceremony to celebrate it!

Gent knapt op’ has just concluded successfully its first phase of selection process and 25 households and participants are ready to start renovations....
Gent knapt op in action

Ghent starts the recruitment of captive residents for house renovation

In May 2019, the recruitment for candidates for the first wave of house renovations started....
ICCARus Kick-off meeting

Kick-off ICCARus in Ghent

On 21 March, the ICCARus Kick-off event took place in Ghent. During this festive event in one of the selected project-areas Muide-Meulestede-Afrikalaa...

Media

Online slotevent Gent knapt op

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