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Add value to your grouped housing project with the Habitat-HS2® “inclusive living space” option.

Top News06/29/2022

Inclusionary housing is now presented by the public authorities as a solution for the future of housing for the elderly. Despite the favorable context, only a few elderly people live in this type of adapted housing. Aware of this challenge, Apave Certification offers housing professionals the opportunity to enhance their social living projects through the HS2® label and its “inclusive living space” option.

Benjamin Germande, in charge of HS2® labeling and Labels, tells us more about the evolution of the Habitat-HS2® standards.

Why did you change the Habitat-HS2 standards?

 

We live in a social and societal context where paradigms fluctuate rapidly! The aim of the label is therefore to keep pace with these changes, in line with society's needs and expectations, and above all to try to anticipate them.

To achieve this, we aim to be ahead of current regulations, respond to the demands of our customers who have an operational vision that is close to residents/beneficiaries, and offer a scheme where innovation (technical, technological, social, etc.) becomes an additional motivation for project developers and all stakeholders.

Thanks to our five years' experience in the field, and in particular through the on-site audits we've carried out (over 80) and the feedback we've received from our customers and end-users, we've noticed that certain elements were given little or insufficient emphasis in our specifications.

 

For example, in béguinages, the watchman, the hostess or the person in charge within the structure needs to be even more valued through our approach. We realized that we needed to create requirements that would highlight the importance of these players and their day-to-day role. They are the pillars of the social link between residents and those involved in the care of seniors. They represent the essential person of trust on a day-to-day basis.

For the Résidences Services Seniors, we were asked to pay particular attention to the integration of non-stigmatizing, adapted and/or adaptable equipment, the need to emphasize the adaptability of the accommodation, and how to reconcile social ties, the contribution of digital technology and local involvement.

Cooking workshop for seniors and young children
Cooking workshop for seniors and young children

How can I benefit from this label?

As we continue to upgrade our labeling system, we have realized that a new element has appeared in recent years: “inclusive housing”. In response to this demand, and with the support of our partners, we have come up with a way of making the HS2 system more inclusive, by creating the “inclusive living space” option.

To apply, the project owner will have to meet one of the specifications dedicated to housing (RSS, RA, béguinage, Habitat, Intergénérationnelle Thématique) and subscribe to the inclusivity option.
This option will include some twenty requirements built around 3 major axes:

  • A Social Life Project Shared by All
  • A living environment that fosters social ties and mutual support
  • A living environment anchored in its local area

Who is this new “inclusive living space” option designed for?

 

It is aimed at virtually all project owners and legal entities (facility managers, associations, social landlords, etc.) wishing to implement and enhance the “inclusive” aspect of their living environment.

In addition, it is important to specify that inclusive living is open to anyone wishing to live in independent accommodation and share time with other residents.

 

What are the benefits for the housing industry?

Today, we are proud to have more than 190 projects registered with the HS2® label. After 5 years of deployment, we have created a real ecosystem. Now we need to pursue our efforts and bring the project to life around strong, enduring challenges.

 

Joining the HS2® label is first and foremost an opportunity to rub shoulders with players who share the same values and philosophy, working on innovative projects to help frail people age well. Integration into this network of players is an initial benefit for a new project owner.

 

What's more, the HS2® label is a guarantee of quality that project developers are complying with specifications designed to ensure the well-being of residents. *
It reassures potential financiers of the commitments made and implemented, as well as beneficiaries or their caregivers looking for quality housing.

 

Finally, and to return to the subject that concerns us, the “inclusive living environment” option will enable our future label-holders to highlight their efforts to create an “inclusive” living environment right from the design stage, during construction and on delivery of the project.

 

Please note that we don't want to confuse the two. Our evaluation and labeling system is in no way a substitute for the regulations in force and the competent authorities on the subject. It is a tool that demonstrates the commitments made by the project owner to make his or her project inclusive. It is not a guarantee of obtaining the inclusive housing package or the AVP, but it is a guideline that can help to achieve this.

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