Eurofound Talks: Can the EU help turn the tide on housing in Europe?

In her political guidelines for the incoming European Commission, issued in July, the returning president, Ursula von der Leyen, outlined ambitious proposals for the next five-year European term. They included the appointment of the first commission member whose responsibilities would include housing, as well as the first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan.

In a new episode of Eurofound Talks Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Senior Research Manager Hans Dubois about the latest developments in housing and housing policy in Europe. This, the second episode of the series looking specifically at housing, discusses the role of the incoming Commission, what Eurofound’s research can bring to the table, and the different policy tools required.

This episode is recorded against a backdrop of growing challenges of unaffordable and inadequate housing throughout the European Union. House prices are increasing, rents are going up, interest rates have climbed and even the cost of keeping a house warm has escalated. The scale of the issue is reflected in the fact that housing prices in the EU rose by 48% on average in less than 10 years, creating difficulties for many Europeans.

On a political level, the European Parliament is set to conduct the final evaluation of the various Commissioners-designate, including the Commissioner-designate for the Energy and Housing portfolio, later this month. European ambitions in the area are set to include a strategy for housing construction, the creation of a new platform together with the European Investment Bank to invest in the sector, more funding from the cohesion fund, and a reform of state aid rules.

Eurofound, for its part, continues its focus on housing in Europe, including research on Unaffordable and inadequate housing, policy briefings on the issue, and broader analysis of the interplay between housing and social protection measures.

Listen to the episode for free on our dedicated page, or wherever you get your podcasts.