For a European Affordable Housing Plan – the contribution of civil society

Key points: 

The EESC:

• calls on the Commission to develop an action plan to enforce the fundamental right to housing, emphasising that this right must be formally enshrined in EU primary law;
• urges to reform state aid rules to allow broader access to social housing. The current definition of service of general economic interest (SGEI) excludes key groups and limits Member States’ ability to respond to rising demand;
• highlights the urgent need for a coordinated EU approach to address the shortage of affordable and sustainable housing, while respecting subsidiarity, as housing policy remains primarily a Member State competence;
• recommends adopting an EU Housing Action Plan to create a cohesive policy addressing the housing crisis and that all Member States introduce ‘housing first’ programmes to tackle homelessness in order to reduce social inequality and deprivation.