Brussels – The European Union is called upon to implement effective measures and concrete solutions to tackle the housing crisis. This is the position of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which, at a conference held in Dublin on 10 November in collaboration with Eurofound, emphasised that the ultimate aim is to increase the supply of affordable and sustainable housing, improve access to it and strengthen a coherent European response that fully respects the powers of the Member States. “Affordable housing is one of the most pressing challenges facing Europeans today,” said Séamus Boland, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). “Our discussions at this special conference in Dublin highlight that there is no single solution to this crisis. The EU, Member States and civil society must work together to increase the supply of affordable housing, unlock investment and protect those most at risk,” he added, emphasising that “housing is much more than just a roof over one’s head. It is about dignity, security, and trust in our societies.”
The conference, entitled “Beyond Affordable Housing: Structural Solutions to the European Housing Crisis”, and part of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, brought together around 100 representatives from EU institutions, national, regional, and local authorities, social partners, civil society organisations, and academia. Held at a time when housing has become one of Europe’s most pressing social and economic challenges, the event preceded the informal meeting of housing ministers scheduled for 25 and 26 November. It also contributed to the work of the European Housing Alliance, launched on 19 June 2026, by promoting the exchange of knowledge and good practice and formulating concrete recommendations for future action. “I am very pleased that Eurofound and the EESC are strengthening their cooperation. This conference highlights the need for structural solutions to the housing crisis in Europe,” commented Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director of Eurofound. “It confirms Eurofound’s findings, namely that the crisis disproportionately affects young people and low-income workers – with dynamics that general statistics fail to capture – and reaffirms the EESC’s commitment to placing civil dialogue at the centre, while tackling territorial inequalities,” he emphasised.
The EESC reminds that “the housing crisis is affecting more and more people across Europe and is becoming one of the main sources of social concern“. Recent protests in several European countries have highlighted the urgency of tackling the issue of housing accessibility and affordability. “According to a recent Eurofound study, since 2010 property prices in Europe have risen by an average of 55 per cent and rents by 27 per cent. For many people, income growth has not kept pace. Although the housing crisis is widespread, certain population groups are at greater risk of facing problems with the affordability of housing: young people, families with dependent children and older people,” states the EESC. In this context, the unaffordability of housing is set to trigger four types of problems: housing exclusion, housing insecurity, financial difficulties due to housing costs, and inadequate housing itself.
For the Committee, as the representative of organised civil society in the EU, “the priority is to move from acknowledging the housing crisis to concrete solutions that can make a tangible difference to people’s lives.” This means increasing the supply of affordable, sustainable and high-quality housing, so that supply can better meet demand.
At the same time, the Committee emphasises that simply increasing supply is not enough. “Housing should be regarded as a fundamental right, not a financial asset. Particular attention must be paid to people in vulnerable situations and to those who are homeless, including through preventive measures and long-term solutions, such as ‘Housing First’ policies,” states the EESC. Against this backdrop, the current momentum at the European level must be translated into effective implementation. Following the European Plan for Affordable Housing, presented in December 2025, and the Affordable Housing Act, proposed in September 2026, the European Commission now intends to present a Housing Simplification Package in 2027, with a view to accelerating the provision of affordable, sustainable, and high-quality housing.
“It is important and urgent to tackle the housing crisis in Europe. This crisis undermines dignity and fairness, threatens our competitiveness and has repercussions for society as a whole,” said the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen. “Across Europe, citizens are calling for action and support. That is why we want to work with all of you to put forward new ideas and innovations, build on the experience gained at local and national levels, and foster a spirit of cooperation that transcends social and national boundaries,” he noted. “Our recommendations focus primarily on how to tackle homelessness – for example, through policies based on the ‘Housing First’ approach – on defining energy affordability, and on ways to secure funding and plan investments,” said Eamon Ryan, Chair of the European Commission’s Advisory Committee on Housing. “In this way, we can restore trust in our democracies, from the local level right up to the European Union. It is above all through the Housing Alliance that we can engage people, listen to different viewpoints, gather the best ideas and take concrete action,” he emphasised. Meanwhile, James Browne, the Irish Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, emphasised that “the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU represents a significant opportunity to coordinate, at European level, actions aimed at tackling the housing challenges we face” and that “the aim is to ensure that this momentum translates into concrete support and tangible improvements, both in terms of housing supply and affordability.” As always, “strong and effective cooperation between Member States, the European institutions, organised civil society and regional and local authorities is essential to overcoming the housing crisis in Europe and meeting the needs of its citizens,” she concluded.
For its part, the EESC has already set out concrete recommendations in a series of opinions, in particular “Making housing accessible: promoting modern construction methods and reducing costs”, adopted in September, and “Combating housing exclusion and homelessness amongst children, families and young people”, adopted in October. Finally, in December, the Committee is expected to adopt an opinion on the European Law on Affordable Housing.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
