Objective 25 % Housing as a Social Good

Europe is facing a serious housing crisis that is challenging the model based on private ownership. The shortage of affordable housing , the concentration of the rental market and real estate speculation have placed many households in a situation of economic overburden and exclusion.

Faced with this scenario, this papers proposes measures to solve the housing crisis in Europe, such as achieving at least 25% of European households living in public housing.

Housing is an essential pillar in forging one’s life project. However, housing policies have over the last decades been characterized by weak public investment, deregulation, and growing tolerance for holiday and short-term uses of otherwise primary residences.

Since development of the housing has, in general, not recovered after the 2008 crisis: purchase and rental prices have not stopped increasing, especially in large cities.

A considerable proportion of the development and management of housing stock in European countries has thus been left in private hands, with a lack of regulation to favor affordable housing, leaving public, social and community housing with a minor role.

This generates negative effects in terms of increasing prices, financial burden, increased inequalities, and has laid the foundations for speculation and housing bubbles.

Given the current situation, and considering housing as an essential right more than a market good, this study defends achieving a 25% of the overall housing inventory managed by public or cooperative actors alongside other policies to make housing affordable for all.

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This paper is a joint initiative between Fundació Irla and Coppieters Foundation.

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This paper is financially supported by the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not liable for the content of the event nor for the opinions of the speakers.

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Photo by Paolo Bici on Unsplash

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