LEG-UP

The LIFE LEG-UP project introduces an innovative model that links access to affordable housing with energy-efficient renovation, using smart financial instruments and strong local support structures. Building on the success of Belgium’s social mortgage programme Onesto, the project expands this approach through a network of one-stop shops (OSS) that provide citizens with technical, financial and administrative assistance for sustainable home improvement.

In essence, the LEG-UP project designs a new energy-efficient mortgage in cooperation with ethical and cooperative financial institutions. This product enables low-income households and first-time homebuyers to purchase and renovate their homes through a single affordable loan, with repayments offset by the resulting energy savings. The model also integrates risk-mitigation tools to attract private investors and make green financing a mainstream practice.

Pilot actions in Flanders (Belgium) and Girona (Spain) will test and validate this approach, generating insights that will support replication at the European scale. By combining financial innovation, local capacity building and citizen-centred services, the LEG-UP project paves the way for large-scale renovation programmes that can be adopted by municipalities, housing agencies and investors.

Contributing to the EU’s Renovation Wave, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the REPowerEU Plan, LEG-UP promotes energy efficiency, social inclusion and access to finance, supporting a fair and sustainable transition for European households.