The project advances the current state of knowledge by introducing an innovative framework that addresses the intersection of housing inequality and energy poverty. Here, energy poverty is defined as limited access to essential energy, affecting economic, infrastructure, social equity, education, and health dimensions. It includes challenges such as inadequate heating, delayed utility payments, and substandard housing with issues like leaky roofs, structural damage, and mold, which contribute to social exclusion, material hardship, and health problems. Energy poverty is closely tied to housing market dynamics, as the location of a home impacts its infrastructure quality and equipment.
In the same vein, the PREFIGURE project goes beyond existing knowledge by conducting collaborative and comparative research on social, market-driven, and policy innovations to improve the link between housing inequality and energy poverty. It seeks to scale and co-create new policy approaches that better integrate marginalized communities into accessible, socially inclusive, energy-efficient housing. By focusing on grassroots innovation, the project embraces diverse social, socio-technical, and socio-environmental initiatives led by communities, civic groups, and market actors, presenting alternative policy and economic solutions. PREFIGURE is pioneering in uniting sustainable housing and energy transitions, enabling collaborative exploration with citizens and stakeholders on how societal transformation could unfold practically. In this regard, PREFIGURE opens an opportunity for policy making to further policies of affordable housing to include a more dignified living in a sustainable environment. In summary, PREFIGURE embraces an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to knowledge production that moves beyond traditional data collection and analysis methods. By establishing effective learning communities among citizens, market actors, and policymakers, the project aims to create actionable, realistic policy pathways.
