Report on understanding energy poverty at the local level and the role of multi-apartment buildings: Deliverable 2.1 LOCATEE project

This report, developed within the LOCATEE project, lays the conceptual foundation for addressing energy poverty in Europe, with particular attention to the challenges posed by private multi-apartment buildings (MABs). It reviews EU, national, and local policy frameworks, and highlights barriers such as poor building performance, fragmented ownership and decision-making, financing gaps, and limited municipal capacity that constrain effective energy poverty alleviation.

A systematic review of more than 50 local initiatives across Europe illustrates both promising practices and persistent shortcomings, particularly the lack of robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The analysis underscores the importance of multi-level collaboration and the critical role of municipalities, civil society organizations, and housing entities as intermediaries in linking policy objectives with on-the-ground delivery.

By bringing together this knowledge, the Deliverable provides an important step in structuring the LOCATEE approach and toolkit, which will serve to strengthen local governance capacities and support evidence-based, inclusive, and context-sensitive solutions. This conceptual groundwork also sets the stage for the in-depth work to be carried out in the pilot municipalities in Greece, Poland, and Portugal ensuring that subsequent project activities are firmly rooted in both European experience and local realities.