Making Housing Affordable – Increasing Modern Methods of Construction and Lowering Costs

Key points

The EESC:

• believes that modern methods of construction (MMC) are one of the key enablers of the circular economy in the construction sector. It is essential that MMC buildings have the same long-term quality and value as traditionally built homes. The EU needs to drive forward targeted investment in the development of industrial capacity to manufacture prefabrication offsite construction systems;
• underlines that all Member States, the Commission, the Housing Alliance and all stakeholders have a role to play in promoting standardisation, eliminating fragmented regulations and ensuring proper oversight and certification of the MMC systems. While acknowledging that each Member State has primary competence as regards housing, the EESC deems desirable for the Commission to have input into individual Member State plans for housing, as well as promoting cross border cooperation. The EU must launch a central funding mechanism to encourage and enable SMEs to invest in digitalisation. Digitalisation should not be limited to construction projects. It should also be leveraged to strengthen labour rights enforcement, job quality, working conditions and consumer interest;
• stresses that MMC must be seen not merely as a technological or market driven issue, but part of a broader social, labour market and industrial policy strategy. MMC can become a key driver of affordable housing, but only if innovation, quality, workers’ rights and public interest objectives advance together. Public housing programmes can play a decisive role in scaling up MMC markets while ensuring SMEs can participate. Large scale skills mapping and anticipation of future needs is needed to effectively address labour and skills shortages.