Irina Zamfirescu, a faculty member at the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Bucharest, has been appointed as a member of the newly set up Housing Advisory Board of the European Commission

Irina Zamfirescu, a faculty member at the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work of the University of Bucharest, has been selected to be part of the new Housing Advisory Board of the European Commission.

The European Commission has set up the Housing Advisory Board, a group of experts tasked with providing concrete, independent policy recommendations for the Commission to consider in preparing the European Affordable Housing Plan which is expected in early 2026.

Irina Zamfirescu is one of 15 highly qualified specialists chosen by the European Commission from over 200 applicants, ensuring a balanced representation of diverse profiles and areas of expertise, as well as geographical and gender balance within the board.

The full list of members of the Housing Advisory Board, who come from 15 EU member states, along with further details about its structure and function, can be accessed here.

The Board held its inaugural meeting on June 30, 2025, and is set to reconvene in September 2025. Meeting dates and additional information will be published in the Register of Commission Expert Groups and Other Similar Entities.

Lecturer Irina Zamfirescu, PhD, is Vice Dean and a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at the University of Bucharest. Her research primarily takes the form of engaged anthropology in vulnerable communities. She is deeply committed to social justice and works alongside communities affected by extreme poverty, engaging in advocacy efforts to improve the quality of life for people experiencing homelessness and families living in informal settlements. She is also involved in research exploring practices of coexistence in multiethnic communities. The courses she teaches include Urban Anthropology, Text and Ethnographic Research, Environmental Justice, Academic Writing, and Philosophy. Irina also serves as the ERASMUS+ coordinator for the faculty. Her research interests focus on precarious housing, social justice, systemic forms of racism, and coexistence practices.