On March 25, the European Parliament in Brussels held an urgent discussion titled “Affordable Housing – Addressing the Housing Crisis in the Union,” focusing on the escalating issue of housing affordability.
During the event, EU Commissioner for Housing and Energy Dan Jørgensen identified increasing housing supply as a key solution to the crisis. When asked how the EU could stimulate new housing construction and expand the availability of affordable homes, he outlined the following measures:
✔️ Eliminating excessive regulations and bureaucratic barriers that slow down new housing development.
✔️ Addressing one of the major challenges – permit issuance: In many member states, building permits are issued too slowly.
✔️ Improving access to construction materials, including increasing recycling to reduce dependence on new raw materials and diversifying supply sources to make building materials more accessible and affordable.
💡 According to D. Jørgensen, solutions must be comprehensive—simplifying regulations and introducing financial incentives are both necessary to ensure more affordable housing for EU residents.
Key Takeaways from the Discussion:
🏠 Growing housing crisis: Buying a home is becoming increasingly difficult, while rising rental prices are deepening economic disparities.
🌍 EU institutional involvement: A housing task force has been established to analyze housing conditions in member states over the next year and provide recommendations for improving affordability.
🤝 Importance of collaboration: The involvement of various stakeholders is crucial for shaping effective policies.
💬 Encouraging public dialogue: Emphasizing active participation, feedback, and diverse perspectives.
🔑 Financing and investment: Current EU funding mechanisms are insufficient to tackle the scale of this crisis—innovative solutions are needed.
🏗️ Regulatory reforms: Reviewing legal frameworks is essential to increasing housing supply and addressing market imbalances.
⏳ Urgent action is needed: If left unaddressed, the crisis will further exacerbate economic inequality and social instability across Europe.
The discussion recording is available here.