The LIFE LEG-UP project introduces an innovative model that connects affordable homeownership with energy-efficient renovation, using smart financial instruments and strong local support structures. Building on the successful Onesto social mortgage scheme in Belgium, the project expands the approach through a network of One-Stop Shops (OSS) that offer citizens technical, financial, and administrative assistance for sustainable home upgrades.
At its core, LIFE LEG-UP designs a new energy-efficient mortgage in cooperation with ethical and cooperative lenders. This product enables low-income and first-time buyers to purchase and renovate their homes through a single, affordable loan, with repayments balanced by energy savings. The model also integrates risk-mitigation tools to attract private investors and make green lending mainstream.
Pilot actions in Flanders (Belgium) and Girona (Spain) will test and validate the approach, generating insights for replication across Europe. By combining financial innovation, local capacity building, and citizen-centred services, LIFE LEG-UP paves the way for large-scale renovation schemes that can be adopted by municipalities, housing agencies, and investors.
Contributing to the EU Renovation Wave, Energy Efficiency Directive, and REPowerEU Plan, LIFE LEG-UP promotes energy efficiency, social inclusion, and financial access, supporting a just and sustainable transition for European households.
Onesto's role in LEG UP
Onesto serves as the coordinator of the LIFE LEG-UP project. With many years of experience as a social mortgage provider in Flanders, we understand how important it is for families with limited budgets not only to buy a home, but also to move towards a place that is safe, healthy and truly comfortable to live in.
We combine that experience with the insights gained through our LIFE projects RE-LEAF and C-REAL. In those programmes, we linked our social mortgage lending to personalised support through a One-Stop Shop, a trusted point where households receive guidance on renovation steps, grants, technical decisions and practical planning. Those years have shown us how powerful it is when financial support and human-centred advice genuinely reinforce one another.
Within LIFE LEG-UP, we build on that foundation. Onesto develops the new mortgage model for the Belgian market, leads the pilot work in Flanders, and ensures that families receive both an affordable financing path and the kind of guidance that gives them confidence. We bring partners together, test what works in real life and help prepare the model for wider use across Europe.
Through LIFE LEG-UP, Onesto wants to strengthen one clear message: for families with limited budgets, a quality home of their own really can be within reach, when the right support is offered at the right moment.