A large majority of Europeans expect the EU to tackle the housing affordability crisis, guided by the principle that a home is a fundamental right, not a profit-driven asset. This emerges as a key finding of a new survey(opens in a new tab) [1] commissioned by the Socialists and Democrats and conducted by Polling Europe.

The S&D Group’s ambitious and far-reaching position paper on affordable and decent homes for all(opens in a new tab) [2] provides concrete solutions to the concerns raised by Europeans, particularly when it comes to securing the massive investments urgently needed to tackle the housing affordability crisis.

Key takeaways from the survey: (opens in a new tab) [3]

(opens in a new tab) [3]

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

“This survey is a clear call for immediate EU action to guarantee one of people’s most fundamental rights – a home. A large majority – almost 80% of respondents – see a home as a fundamental right. Again, a large majority – 72% – expect the EU to act swiftly, especially by improving access to homes for low- and middle-income earners, ending speculation, and boosting EU funding to ensure affordable homes.

“We have put housing at the top of Europe’s agenda, securing both the first-ever EU Commissioner for housing and the European Parliament’s special committee on the housing crisis. We are pleased to see that other key EU actors are now following our lead. We call for a truly people-centred European Affordable Housing Plan, reaffirming that a home as a right.”

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

“To all those Europeans demanding EU action, and to the 62% who worry about not being able to afford a decent home, to the 76% who say it is harder for them to buy or rent than it was for their parents, and to the one in ten respondents who have had to skip meals or healthcare due to housing expenses, we have responded with concrete solutions.

“In our position paper on affordable and decent homes for all, we set out concrete actions to secure €300 billion of EU funding for affordable and decent homes, reform EU state-aid rules to ease access to homes for low- and middle-income earners, end speculation, shield tenants against rent hikes and illegal evictions, tackle short-term tourist rentals and eradicate homelessness.”

Note to editors:

Polling Europe conducted the “European Multiclient Survey” online using the CAWI method - Computer-Assisted Web Interview.  

The survey gathered 4,159 complete interviews, proportionally distributed across the population of the 27 EU countries, between the 14th and 26th of November 2025.