Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) was proud to co-host the 5th International Social Housing Festival (ISHF), held in Dublin from 4–6 June 2025. The event brought together over 2,000 delegates from across the world, including housing providers, policymakers, urban planners, researchers, and community leaders. CHI played a key role in shaping the festival’s focus on the human stories behind social housing, with storytelling and lived experience at the heart of the programme.

As a co-hosting partner alongside the Irish Council for Social Housing and Housing Europe, CHI contributed to a packed three-day programme that included workshops, exhibitions, site visits, and panel discussions. CHI hosted a dedicated exhibition stand throughout the festival, welcoming hundreds of delegates who engaged with CHI’s work and learned more about the co-operative housing model in Ireland.

CHI staff participated in a range of sessions, including policy roundtables, storytelling events, and discussions on the future of social and affordable housing. We were delighted to welcome the Hong Kong Council of Social Service to Co-operative Housing Ireland and to have the opportunity to share with them the work we do. Their visit provided a valuable chance to exchange ideas and discuss CHI’s co-operative model, our approach to community building, and the delivery of high-quality, affordable homes. It was a pleasure to introduce them to our organisation’s mission and the impact of our work across Ireland.

The festival created a powerful platform for international exchange, while showcasing Ireland’s leadership in social housing innovation. CHI’s participation ensured that co-operative housing models—and the communities they support—were front and centre in these global conversations.

Through ISHF 2025, CHI helped bring a global audience into meaningful contact with the values of solidarity, inclusion, and community-led development, all while advancing its mission of delivering high-quality homes and building stronger communities across Ireland.

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