by Colm McDaid, Chief Executive of Supporting Communities

Some events stay with you long after the journey home, and the International Union of Tenants (IUT) World Conference 2026 was certainly one of them. Held from 7–9 May between Malmö and Copenhagen, the conference marked 100 years of the IUT, a century of solidarity from 1926 to 2026, and, for me, it was a moving reminder that the values which brought people together all those years ago still matter just as much today.

My first in-person board meeting of the IUT

This was my third IUT World Conference, having previously travelled to Glasgow in 2016 and Vienna in 2019. This year felt different, though. I was there not only on behalf of Supporting Communities, a long-standing IUT member, but as a newly approved member of the IUT Board, which gave the experience an added sense of responsibility and a feeling of pride, too.

From the moment the conference opened, it was clear that this gathering was about more than marking a significant anniversary. It was about people coming together around a shared conviction: that safe, decent and affordable housing is not a privilege, but something every person should be able to depend on. As the conference moved between Malmö and Copenhagen, that shared sense of purpose only deepened, and so did my sense of how important these connections really are.

A journey shaped by people and place

What made the conference so memorable was not only the programme itself, but the way it brought people, politics and practice into the same space. Through study visits, open exchanges between tenant organisations, and a vibrant Housing Festival, there was room not just for speeches and policy discussions, but also for conversation, reflection, and the kind of learning that happens best when people meet face to face. For me, the conversations in between sessions, the shared experiences, and the feeling of common purpose were every bit as valuable as the formal agenda.

A shared challenge across borders

Colm (right) With Delegates from North Macedonia & Belgium

One of the strongest impressions I took away from the conference was just how connected our housing challenges are across countries and communities. The pressures may take different forms from one place to another, but the underlying reality is all too familiar: high rents and a shortage of decent housing are pushing people out of cities, towns and villages across the world. Hearing those shared experiences from so many different places made the issue feel both bigger and more immediate. The housing crisis is not only a housing issue, but also a social crisis, touching every part of people’s lives.

The struggle that began 100 years ago remains just as important now as it was then. If anything, this conference was a powerful reminder that the need for solidarity, shared learning and collective action has never been greater.

With 150 million Europeans, around one-third of all citizens now living in rental housing, the centenary was less about looking back, but an opportunity to focus on what must happen next. Across the sessions, there was clear recognition that soaring energy costs, unaffordable rents and a lack of decent housing are placing growing pressure on individuals, families and communities. These aren't abstract policy problems; they are the daily reality for a huge proportion of the population.

A call to continue the work

IUT President, Marie Linder, captured that challenge powerfully when she said: “This centenary is not just a celebration, it is a call to continue the work. Housing is still treated as a commodity, not a human right.” It was a message that summed up both the significance of the occasion and the seriousness of the present moment.

The EU Commissioner for Housing, Dan Jørgensen, echoed this point, saying: “A home is not just four walls and a roof. It is a place of safety, warmth. It is the starting point for a fulfilling life.” His presence at the conference felt important, not only because it acknowledged the scale of the issue, but also because it opened the door to an essential conversation about whose voices shape housing policy.

Who shapes housing policy?

International Panel from Australia, Canada, Austria and Ukraine

The thread I kept returning to was this: tenants need to be central to housing policy, not consulted as an afterthought. People living with the consequences of these decisions every day have something essential to contribute. The conference reinforced that message, and it's something we try to embody at Supporting Communities.

The conference programme captured the importance of the tenant voice very well, especially as we listened to Ester Jensen from the Danish Tenants’ Association, who spoke with such pride and passion about her own local community, in Copenhagen, and how she and her fellow tenants had organised themselves into a group to improve both their housing and the surrounding environment. We then heard from a global perspective from Australia, Canada, Austria and Ukraine, where discussions centred on tenants’ rights, affordability and international solidarity.

With Penny Carr - Tenants Queensland, Austrialia

That word ‘solidarity’ was repeated throughout the 3 days, and it was very clear that it is not an abstract idea. It is built through meeting, listening, sharing experiences and being honest about what's working and what isn't. After 100 years, that spirit is still very much alive, but it needs to translate into action now, not just aspiration.

I came away feeling encouraged by the commitment in the room, but also reminded that there is still so much more to do. If housing is truly to be recognised as a human right, then tenants’ voices must be heard, housing must be treated as a public good, and all of us who care about fairness and dignity must continue to press for change.

It was a real privilege to attend the conference marking the centenary of the IUT, to represent Supporting Communities as the sole attendee from the UK and Ireland, and to share our good practice around tenant engagement and participation on an international stage. I left feeling proud of the contribution we made to the conference and grateful for the chance to learn from others working towards the same goal.