Record housing costs across Europe are hitting hard the young and old, the poorest and the middle class, while the rich are getting even wealthier, trading human rights for profit, deplore the Socialists and Democrats ahead of a plenary debate on the housing crisis today in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Over the past decade, house prices have risen by 17% in the European Union; more than 10% of European households spend more than 40% of their income on housing costs. 

To respond to this housing crisis, the S&D Group are pushing hard to make affordable and decent housing for renters and small home owners a policy priority for the European Union and deliver for the people an affordable housing plan*.  

The Socialists and Democrats family have succeeded in getting an EU Commissioner for housing, the first time ever. This was one of our key demands for the Commission 2024-2029. We also secured a new special committee on housing in the European Parliament. Now we are putting all our efforts into delivering on one of the main challenges facing citizens today, a lack of decent and affordable housing, through targeted investment, better regulation and more sustainable homes.

Iratxe García Pérez, S&D leader, said: 

“The support of the progressive family to the new Commission is conditional on having an affordable and sustainable housing plan and on mobilising additional investment at an EU level from the recovery plan, the EU budget and the European Investment Bank. Housing is a right and the S&Ds are working to fight the housing crisis and to ensure that all our citizens have access to it.

“The review of State aid to allow investment in housing, the supervision of the European Semester of the housing strategy, and the incorporation of housing as a service of general economic interest are measures that can no longer be postponed.

“It is crucial to ensure better conditions for long-term public investment in public and private housing, to combat energy poverty and to renovate buildings to reduce energy costs. Member states must also regulate rental prices to avoid excessive increases, put a stop to tourist apartments and impose fiscal penalties on empty homes that cannot be proven to be used for anything other than speculation.”

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

“The European housing market is failing and we must fix it. Record housing costs are hitting the young and old, and the poor and middle class people across Europe. Living costs have increased much faster than wages in the past years, leaving people unable to afford decent housing in a dysfunctional housing market, increasingly distorted by speculation.

“Housing is a social good and a human right, not a commodity for trading and speculation. This is why, we Socialists and Democrats, champion an EU affordable housing plan. Ensuring investment in reasonably priced, social and energy-efficient housing must be at the top of the agenda for the new Commission. The S&Ds pushed for and obtained a Commissioner for housing and a special committee on housing in the European Parliament to make sure the EU delivers on concrete solutions for people’s housing issues. Everyone deserves a roof over their head.”

Note to the editor:

* The Affordable Housing Plan, championed by the S&Ds, calls for:

• huge investments to shield the three bottom fifths of society against record housing costs;
• ensure better conditions for long-term public and private investment in social, public, cooperative and affordable housing to boost investment for public and private housing, tackling energy poverty and renovating buildings to reduce energy costs; 
• revision of the EU State aid rules to reduce barriers and enable investment in housing;
• clear rules that EU investment money can only be used for affordable housing, not for holiday rentals;
• clear rules that social housing for rent has to be managed by public authorities, not investment funds;
• a target in the European Pillar of Social Rights to achieve affordable housing for everyone;
• eradication of homelessness and ensuring there is no child in Europe without a home.