Throughout April, the first edition of the course Social Housing: Keys to Success in Provision and Management by Social Entities was carried out successfully. The course was co‑organized with the Hàbitat3 Foundation and supported by the Department of Social Rights of the Government of Catalonia.

Access to decent housing has become one of the main social challenges in Catalonia. In the current context, this issue is becoming more acute, and many organizations find themselves with limited resources and tools to facilitate access to adequate housing for people in vulnerable situations and to manage it effectively.

In response to this need, the iSocial Foundation, together with the Hàbitat3 Foundation, launched the course Social Housing: Keys to Success in Provision and Management by Social Entities, aimed at organizations that want to incorporate the housing dimension into their social projects but lack sufficient prior knowledge or experience in its management or provision.

The training aims to create a shared learning space where good practices and experiences from the third sector in housing provision and management can be exchanged, including the identification of funding sources and support for tenancy. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of organizations to take on housing management with greater confidence and solidity.

The sessions were delivered by professionals from various organizations, including Hàbitat3 itself, Fundació Habitatge Social, Fundació Família i Benestar Social, l’Associació Alba, Mambré Fundació, Som Fundació, Fundació Astres, ABD, and Fundació Sallar, all of whom contributed a practical, experience‑based perspective.

Regarding content, the course combined an introduction to key concepts of affordable, social, and inclusive housing with an overview of the main models of provision and management. It also addressed the challenges of maintenance and day‑to‑day management, as well as strategies to ensure the sustainability of projects. In addition, it explored social support linked to tenancy and examined different funding avenues, grants, and available resources, drawing on practical cases and real experiences from the third sector.

This first edition brought together 28 participants from 20 organizations. Participants particularly highlighted the value of learning about real experiences applicable to their own projects, as well as the creation of connections and support networks among different organizations and professionals.

The success of this first edition marks the starting point for future editions and opens the door to expanding the initiative with new training programs tailored to the needs of public administrations as well.