The first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan, expected to be unveiled in two weeks, must reaffirm that a home is a fundamental right and cannot be treated as a profit-driven asset. This is the message from the Socialists and Democrats ahead of today’s exchange with the Commissioner for housing, Dan Jørgensen. 

It is the S&D Group that has put housing on the EU agenda. Through sustained and active campaigning, the progressives secured both the first-ever European Commissioner for housing and the European Parliament’s special committee on the housing crisis in the EU, paving the way for this momentum. 

The S&Ds are pleased that other key actors are now following suit. In October, EU leaders called on the European Commission to swiftly present an ambitious and comprehensive European Affordable Housing Plan. The progressive vision for such an ambitious plan is outlined in the S&D Group’s position paper on Tackling Europe’s Housing Crisis, and the Group has full confidence in Commissioner Jørgensen to deliver.

In this context, the Housing Advisory Board’s report, presented yesterday in the European Parliament, provides an essential contribution to efforts aimed at tackling the housing crisis. These are good recommendations developed by specialists with great expertise on housing; and will inspire our work in the European Parliament and should also be incorporated by the European Commission in its proposal.

Gaby Bischoff, S&D vice-president for social Europe, said: 

“Over the past fifteen years, house prices in the EU increased by 53% and rents by 25%. This data alone is an alarm bell. We need to act immediately and decisively. The affordability of homes has become a key social, economic, and political issue in Europe. To deliver, we need a broad coalition genuinely committed to addressing the crisis and taking the courageous steps that are necessary.” 

“To rise to this challenge, we need a truly people-centred European Affordable Housing Plan. This means that the planned measures must reaffirm that a home as a fundamental right. Our homes must not be a playground for speculators. Short-term tourist rentals must not lock locals out of their neighbourhoods. Teachers and nurses should be able to live where they work. Our approach must be effective to reach these goals. The financial profit of a few cannot be the aim of European housing policies. 

“We count on the Commission to draw inspiration from the Housing Advisory Board’s recommendations, notably when it comes to speculation and financialisation. We need bold actions that increase the availability of affordable, decent homes and to ensure strong tenants’ rights.” 

Andreas Schieder, S&D spokesperson on housing, added:

 “The stakes are clear, as are our demands. Let us focus on the three most urgent priorities. First, over the past decades, affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners has sharply declined. Homes have become profit-driven assets. To reverse this trend, the EU must massively invest in affordable and decent homes, including by making state aid rules more flexible, and by ending speculation. 

“Second, EU countries are currently limited in their ability to tackle the excesses of mass tourism, even when it affects people’s access to affordable and decent housing. That is why we insist that local, regional, and national authorities must be able to impose measures in areas facing significant housing pressure, such as nightcaps, authorisation schemes, offsetting, and zoning restrictions. 

“Third, the EU must protect the most vulnerable. In 2025, more than 1.2 million Europeans – including 400,000 children – are living without a roof over their heads. Each night, the number of homeless Europeans is comparable to the entire population of cities like Prague or Milan. We hold the Commission and the member states accountable for their commitment to end homelessness by 2030.”