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The percentage of empty houses in Southern Europe countries is relatively high due to several reasons. In the metropolitan region of Athens their number increased significantly during the 2000s and their distribution pattern has changed significantly. Their highest increase was observed in central densely built and socially vulnerable neighborhoods. The paper takes into account the spatial distribution of vacant housing in Athens and outlines a project that uses them as the main resource to address housing needs for an increasing number of groups who cannot afford market rents, including the considerable number of refugees living in Athens. This project seeks sustainablity within conditions of recession and lack of social rented housing tradition, by aiming at combining welfare and local development targets and bu seeking mutually beneficial arrangements for the social actors involved (tenants and petty landlords) and a planned division of labor among institutions (local authorities, international funders and NGOs).

The percentage of empty houses in Southern Europe countries is relatively high due to several reasons. In the metropolitan region of Athens their number increased significantly during the 2000s and their distribution pattern has changed significantly. Their highest increase was observed in central densely built and socially vulnerable neighborhoods. The paper takes into account the spatial distribution of vacant housing in Athens and outlines a project that uses them as the main resource to address housing needs for an increasing number of groups who cannot afford market rents, including the considerable number of refugees living in Athens. This project seeks sustainablity within conditions of recession and lack of social rented housing tradition, by aiming at combining welfare and local development targets and bu seeking mutually beneficial arrangements for the social actors involved (tenants and petty landlords) and a planned division of labor among institutions (local authorities, international funders and NGOs).

The percentage of empty houses in Southern Europe countries is relatively high due to several reasons. In the metropolitan region of Athens their number increased significantly during the 2000s and their distribution pattern has changed significantly. Their highest increase was observed in central densely built and socially vulnerable neighborhoods. The paper takes into account the spatial distribution of vacant housing in Athens and outlines a project that uses them as the main resource to address housing needs for an increasing number of groups who cannot afford market rents, including the considerable number of refugees living in Athens. This project seeks sustainablity within conditions of recession and lack of social rented housing tradition, by aiming at combining welfare and local development targets and bu seeking mutually beneficial arrangements for the social actors involved (tenants and petty landlords) and a planned division of labor among institutions (local authorities, international funders and NGOs).