new policy instruments

Step-by-step testing and optimalization of the housing passport

The woningpas or housing passport is a free digital passport that brings together all information about a citizen’s home in one handy overview. It is an important tool within the Flemish renovation strategy. Since its launch at the end of 2018, we have continuously developing new functions to inform citizens about possible renovation actions to improve the energy performance and quality of their homes. Besides developing new functions for the tool, it also has to be tested in different contexts in real time renovation projects. 

Gathering feedback through user tests and citizen surveys


User tests were organized to improve the housing passport. In addition, a feedback button was added to the housing passport to query users' experiences. This button  also examines to what extent the housing passport can become a guideline for the implementation of energy-saving measures during the renovation process.

A citizen survey was also organized at the beginning of 2021 to gather answers on some key questions about citizens’ use of the housing passport during renovations, the accessibility of information, the effectiveness of the support the tool provided, etc. The first results were available in June 2021.

Gathering feedback from energy houses and BE REEL! partners 



Besides user tests and citizen surveys, feedback was also gathered from different sources. Flanders has 18 energy houses where a citizen can go for information, advice and guidance in the implementation of energy-saving renovation works. These energy houses regularly examine to what extent the housing passport can contribute even more to quality renovation advice.

BE REEL!’s partner cities of Ghent, Antwerp and Mechelen are also actively using the housing passport to support renovation supervision in their demonstration projects. Workshops are regularly organised with them to highlight their experiences and to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of this tool.

The housing passport aims to reach as many segments of the housing market as possible during renovation projects. That is why any requests of other parties (social rental offices, social housing companies, provincial centers for sustainable construction, residential offices, partners of the renovation pact) are also taken into account.

Co-creation with stakeholders

In order to convert the needs of the users into easily understandable information and useful functions, all development processes are set up in co-creation with a fixed group of stakeholders such as consumer organizations. In this way, different parties can influence the design process and its result. 

The tool today is the result of intense cooperation between several Flemish public agencies (Flemish Energy and Climate Agency, Department of Environment, Housing Flanders, Flemish Public Waste Agency, Fluvius, Flemish Environment Agency, Aqua Flanders, Vlario). These partnerships will be expanded even further in the future.

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