European Economic
and Social Committee
EESC PLENARY: EESC calls for a European Affordable Housing Plan
At its plenary session on 18 September, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted a debate with Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, and called on the European Commission to take urgent action to address the ongoing housing crisis.
The EESC urges the European Commission to put together a European action plan on affordable housing, and is ready to contribute to it by adopting a specific opinion with key recommendations, and by committing to co-organising the first-ever EU Housing Summit together with the Commission, the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions.
The Danish Presidency had asked the EESC to gather civil society’s input for the European Affordable Housing Plan. Aurel Laurenţiu Plosceanu, former EESC Vice-President in charge of Communication (2023-2025), said: Our message is clear: the EU needs an action plan to make the right to housing a reality and to anchor it in EU law.
For his part, Commissioner Jørgensen said that housing represented a major challenge in Europe. However, this also gives us an opportunity to make a real, positive and lasting difference to the lives of millions of citizens across Europe,
he added. If we want a Europe that is fairer, more competitive and truly independent, we need housing that is decent, sustainable and affordable for every citizen. So, let’s take on this challenge. Let’s seize this opportunity. And let’s build a better Europe together.
Several members of the EESC’s Civil Society Organisations’ Group took the floor during the plenary debate:
John Comer, rapporteur of the EESC opinion For a European Affordable Housing Plan – the contribution of civil society that was presented and adopted in the framework of the debate, declared that the fundamental right of affordable housing must be enshrined in EU law. The younger generation cannot afford to live where they want, older people feel under pressure to be downsized after working their entire lives. We acknowledge the principles of subsidiarity, but we also understand that Member States cannot do this alone. This coordinated plan is a step towards a cohesive policy that all Member States could introduce to address the housing crisis
.
Baiba Miltoviča, former president of the EESC's TEN section (2020-2025), declared that European cities need long-term and innovative financing schemes deployed at EU level to support the retrofitting of social and municipally owned housing stock: It is crucial to recognise that there are different housing support systems and funding gaps in Europe. These need to be tailored schemes with different solutions, and
InvestEU
can help with wider guaranteed coverage, in some markets, for higher social value low-income housing.
Elena-Alexandra Calistru, president of the EESC's ECO section since 22 October, backed this by saying that the housing crisis represents an immediate economic threat requiring a Multiannual Financial Framework (
MMF
) response, especially through its cohesion policy. Regions with unaffordable housing cannot compete globally. It is time to treat housing the same as defence infrastructure; systematically
!
Giuseppe Guerini recalled that in Europe we have a network of cooperatives that specialise in the construction and management of affordable housing, but also in providing renewable energy to communities. I urge you to consult these enterprises to create the best policy possible for our communities.
Neža Repanšek, who was a member of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group during the EESC’s term 2020-2025, said that many young people would love to move out of their parents’ home, but many cannot afford it. Without a place you can call ‘home’, you cannot build a future. Without a community, you cannot feel like you belong. Without belonging, countries inevitably face a silent brain drain. Young talents leave in search of dignity elsewhere. Let’s help young people stay sane in our European community, grow a home and contribute to the future of the EU’
.
Corina Murafa Benga focused on housing infrastructure; more specifically she contended the myth that sustainable and affordable housing are incompatible. Homes built or renovated with recycled materials (heat pumps, solar panels, solid insulation), often prove more affordable in the long-term than conventional housing. But, when making investment decisions, regional and national authorities focus on up-front costs and fully disregard the savings they would get for the public if they applied a life-cycle approach.
Read the EESC’s press release: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/news-media/press-releases/housingcrisis-eesc-calls-european-affordable-housing-plan
Watch the debate at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/streaming/?event=20250918-1430-SPECIAL-OTHER
Article co-authored with EESC press service