This document can also be found on the official website of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development at: https://www.oecd.org/While social housing looks and functions very differently from one country to another, this brief summarises the main characteristics, trends, challenges and opportunities for this sector. Section 1 provides an overview of a highly heterogeneous sector, summarising the distinguishing characteristics of social housing in the OECD and the EU. Section 2 outlines the main changes and challenges facing the sector, within the context of the broader housing market and social welfare system. Section 3 looks ahead to the opportunities for social housing in the coming years, in light of the renewed focus on affordable housing in national and supra-national policy discussions. This resource is part of the collection "Building towards the reduction of persistent poverty". Collections are monitored daily and new content is added.