The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) have announced stronger joint efforts to support Slovenia’s push for more affordable housing, officials said at a conference in Slovenia. The move reflects a coordinated approach by two leading international lenders to help the country meet its housing goals and aligns with EU recommendations for financial institutions to work more closely with national governments on housing.
The announcement was made in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob and Housing Minister Simon Maljevac at the “Turning Vision into Homes: Slovenia’s Affordable Housing Journey” conference, organized by the EIB Group, CEB, and the Slovenian government with support from the European Commission. The event brought together local, national, and European stakeholders to advance Slovenia’s Third-Generation National Housing Strategy and Investment Plan, a framework designed to mobilize expertise, financing, and innovation in line with European housing priorities.
“Today, together with the Council of Europe Development Bank, we are stepping up joint efforts to support Slovenia’s national housing strategy,” said Ioannis Tsakiris, EIB Vice President. “Affordable housing is a foundation for social cohesion, economic resilience, and equal opportunities. Working together allows us to make progress faster and help ensure access to decent and affordable homes.”
Tomáš Boček, CEB Vice Governor, said housing sits at the heart of the bank’s social mandate. “Today’s joint commitment reflects our shared determination to help Slovenia deliver more affordable and sustainable homes for its citizens. The CEB stands ready to continue working with Slovenia and our European partners, like EIB, to turn this commitment into real homes and stronger communities.”
The CEB has been a long-standing partner to Slovenia on affordable housing. Over the past decade, it has provided €140 million to help build more than 2,000 new affordable homes, with another nearly €300 million in the pipeline. The bank has also mobilized close to €400,000 in technical assistance through the InvestEU Advisory Hub to support Slovenia’s housing strategy and help national and local players strengthen their delivery models.
The EIB Group is working across Europe to boost financing for affordable and sustainable housing, with a target of more than €4 billion in 2025. As part of its Action Plan for Affordable and Sustainable Housing, the EIB recently launched a €400 million HousingTechEU initiative to support mid-cap and large companies in developing new construction materials, machinery, and engineering to improve housing quality and lower costs. The Group has also launched the “More homes. Better homes” online portal, endorsed by the European Commission, to connect housing stakeholders with advice, funding, and financing.
Since 2010, the CEB has approved close to €8 billion in loans to help countries across Europe expand access to decent and affordable homes, with a focus on low-income households, young people, the elderly, and people facing homelessness.
