Housing

In recent years, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has worked intensively on the availability, affordability, accessibility and sustainability of decent housing in Europe in order to inform debates and future policy recommendations on housing at EU level.

Against the backdrop of the overall housing crisis in Europe, the European institutions have shown increasing interest and commitment in recent years to tackling this issue, which has been exacerbated by the energy crisis, speculation and inflation rates. In response to the growing concerns of Europeans, particularly young people and low-income households, the EESC has given political impetus to the debate on the housing crisis in the EU by drawing up opinions, also on its own initiative, carrying out studies and gathering recommendations at conferences and public hearings involving European, national and regional stakeholders.

The EESC has examined the depth of social housing, the renovation wave and the new European Bauhaus strategies, the energy performance of buildings and the challenges of energy efficiency, the benefits of wood construction, the financing of affordable and sustainable housing, the problems of urban development and neglected rural areas, homelessness and energy poverty, to name but a few.

Providing decent housing for all Europeans requires an active policy across the EU, in which the role of civil society organisations is essential in promoting an affordable, accessible and sustainable housing policy that involves all stakeholders and policy-makers at local, national and European level.