Sunday, 11 May 2025
No Result
View All Result
eudebates.tv
  • EU Policies
  • World
  • Special Debates
  • Events
  • Vote & Polls
eudebates.tv
No Result
View All Result

EU Parliament calls for action to solve housing crisis

EUdebates Team by EUdebates Team
22/01/2021
in Employment and Social affairs
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
architect-house building renovations
131
SHARES
1.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Join EU debates

Fair Minimum Wages for All – EESC Workers’ Group Webinar

European Pillar of Social Rights: Gothenburg, Porto and beyond

Why are Finns the happiest people in the world again?

Turkey’s withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, A ‘worrying step backwards’

The European Parliament calls on EU countries to act on the housing crisis to invest more in decent homes and ensure everyone has access to affordable housing. Lack of affordable houses is increasingly becoming a problem in the EU. Prices and rents steadily growing relative to incomes over the years.

On 21 January, Parliament adopted a resolution calling on EU countries to recognise adequate housing as a fundamental human right. It will be enforceable through legislation. Everyone should get equal access to decent, “healthy” housing, with connection to high-quality drinking water, adequate sanitation, sewage and reliable energy, MEPs said.

Housing crisis: a problem for everyone

The situation has especially got worse for low-income owners and private renters. Also for people with an average income are burdened by house and maintenance costs. Especially single parents, large families and young people on their first jobs have an income that is too low to afford market rents, while too high to make them eligible for social housing.

The coronavirus outbreak has also exacerbated the housing problem,. Many people need to spend the lockdown in poor standard homes. In the medium-term, the crisis is expected to further increase homelessness rates.What does affordable housing mean?

  • The houses price-to-income-ratio is the most commonly used criterion to measure affordability
  • Between 2010 and 2018, the share of the population spending more than 40% of their disposable income on housing stood at about 10% in the EU. There are substantial differences between countries.

What are the causes of the housing problem?

The transformation of houses into financial assets or commodities is one of the main drivers for the rising costs. People buy second homes to generate additional income and supplement their pensions. Foreign investments make local house prices rise and platforms like Airbnb reduce the supply of houses available for locals, especially in city centres.

In addition there are significant differences between EU countries when it comes to social policies.

housebuilding loans

Housing in the EU: facts and figures

  • Over the past three years EU house prices have risen by an average of 5%
  • Social housing spending by governments represents just 0.66% of the European gross domestic product
  • Inadequate house costs €195 billion per year

The solutions Parliament is proposing

The EU can influence the housing market indirectly through rules on state aid, fiscal and competition law. EU could adopt guidelines and recommendations. For example, changes in state aid rules could make it easier for public authorities to support all groups whose housing needs cannot be easily met under market conditions.

In their resolution adopted on 20 January, MEPs

  • reiterate their demand for an EU level goal to end homelessness by 2030
  • call on the European Commission and EU countries to prioritise emissions reductions and energy efficiency through housing renovation, in line with the Green Deal
  • encourage member states to collaborate on financing social investments with the social partners, civil society and the private sector
  • call on EU countries to tackle discrimination of vulnerable groups on the housing market
  • call on the Commission to put forward legislative proposals by mid-2021 to counter the treatment of housing as a tradable asset rather than a human right
  • urge the Commission and member state to invest more in social, public, energy-efficient, adequate and affordable housing
Share this debate with your friends!
Follow #eudebates on Google News and on Facebook
Tags: DemocracyEqualityEuropean FamilyEuropean ParliamentInequalityLife ExpectancyMembers of the European ParliamentPARLIAMENTSocial EuropeSOCIAL INCLUSIONSustainable InfrastructureWage Inequality
Share52Tweet33

Related EU debates

It's time for fair and adequate #EUMinimumWages
Employment and Social affairs

Fair Minimum Wages for All – EESC Workers’ Group Webinar

13/05/2021
Ursula von der Leyen in Porto Social Summit
Employment and Social affairs

European Pillar of Social Rights: Gothenburg, Porto and beyond

07/05/2021
lake in Finland
Employment and Social affairs

Why are Finns the happiest people in the world again?

02/04/2021
people kids families women
Employment and Social affairs

Turkey’s withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, A ‘worrying step backwards’

29/03/2021
The Lipa camp for migrants, close to the town of Bihać, and near the border of Croatia
Employment and Social affairs

EU fights Anti-Roma prejudice and discrimination

14/03/2021
woman sunset
Employment and Social affairs

Important social gains for women lost due to COVID-19

08/03/2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SOTEU 2022 - State of the Union speech

Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU

14/09/2022
Volunteers preparing food for Ukrainian refugees arriving at Berlin Central Station

EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine

08/03/2022
pump jack oil diesel

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

08/03/2022
Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission

EU sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine

26/02/2022
Finnish PM Sanna Marin

Finland: NATO membership ‘will change’ after Russian invasion

24/02/2022
NATO - EU joint Press Conference

EU responds to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with massive sanctions

24/02/2022
  • Social Media Facebook twitter

    DeleteFacebook? What is the best Facebook european alternative?

    268 shares
    Share 107 Tweet 67
  • Travelling in Europe with COVID19 country colour travel code zones

    238 shares
    Share 95 Tweet 60
  • Why don’t Mediterranean boat migrants take the plane? Why don’t refugees fly?

    222 shares
    Share 89 Tweet 56
  • EU nasty and vindictive? Nigel Farage criticizes EU vaccines strategy

    202 shares
    Share 81 Tweet 51
  • Burkini Debate: To Ban or Not to Ban the Burkini, Burka and Niqab in EUROPE?

    193 shares
    Share 77 Tweet 48

Join eudebates newsletter!

Enter your email to receive our newsletter.

Don't worry, we don't spam
eudebates_logo

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU
  • EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine
  • REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel
  • EU sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine
  • Finland: NATO membership ‘will change’ after Russian invasion

Newsletter

Join eudebates newsletter!

Enter your email to receive our newsletter.

Don't worry, we don't spam
SOTEU 2022 - State of the Union speech

Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU

14/09/2022
Volunteers preparing food for Ukrainian refugees arriving at Berlin Central Station

EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine

08/03/2022
pump jack oil diesel

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

08/03/2022
  • Home
  • EU Policies
  • Special Debates
  • Events
  • Vote & Polls
  • Video

© 2022 eudebates - EU debates, dialogue, communication for a better Europe - Privacy Policy.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • EU Policies
  • World
  • Special Debates
  • Events
  • Vote & Polls

© 2022 eudebates - EU debates, dialogue, communication for a better Europe - Privacy Policy.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.