Here are the top stories for the week of May 31st, 2021.

 

We the Power – a movie about the citizen-led community energy movement in Europe

We the Power is an inspiring film that follows friends, families, and visionaries, some of them REScoop.eu members, as they break down legislative barriers and take power back from big energy companies to put it in the hands of locals and strengthen their towns. It chronicles local cooperatives from deep in Germany’s Black Forest to the streets of ancient Girona in Spain and the urban rooftops of London, England, as they pave the way for a renewable energy revolution and build healthier, financially stable communities. Click here to watch the video.

 

Affordable Housing Takes Center Stage in President Biden’s Policy Agenda (USA & Europe)

Just a few months after the 2020 US Presidential election, a new day dawned regarding President Joe Biden and the federal government’s stance on affordable and social housing, Joshua Crites from Washington County, Oregon writes for Housing Europe’s blog. Josh is an American Social Housing professional. He currently is the Assistant Director for a social housing organization in the Portland, Oregon metro area. He spent time working in and researching affordable housing and social housing in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Estonia. Click here to read more.

 

The ABZ Solidarity Fund (Switzerland)

With the solidarity fund, the ABZ supports, among other things, social, cultural, and ecological projects on the subject of living. All households pay monthly into the fund, and voluntary contributions are also possible.

Acting in solidarity means standing up for one another and helping one another. The ABZ lives and promotes solidarity on various levels: among residents, members, and employees, as the purpose and value of our institution and towards third parties. This is what the ABZ Solidarity Fund stands for: Each ABZ household pays a monthly contribution of CHF 5 or more. At the annual award conference, a vote is taken on the use of part of this money. The board of the ABZ awards a smaller part.

Click here to read the original German article. Click here to read the English article.