The European Commission announced a public consultation, open from July 11 to October 17, addressing the lack of affordable housing across the European Union (EU) with plans to present a strategy to tackle this issue in the first half of the next year.
The announcement was not accompanied by specific ideas, only the intention to address all aspects of housing, ranging from affordable to social, state support, construction and renovation, property reallocation, simplifying bureaucracies, and rental considerations.
No housing data has been disclosed by the European Commission in the provided information.
The executive led by Ursula von der Leyen is calling for the participation of citizens, investors, and national authorities in the public consultation, recognizing the problem’s widespread impact across the EU.
“Solving the housing crisis affecting millions of Europeans requires inclusive action […]. To ensure all Europeans have access to affordable, sustainable, and decent housing, collaborative efforts at all levels are necessary,” stated Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen in the communiqué.
In early June, the European Commission recommended for the first time that Portugal take concrete measures to address the country’s housing crisis.
Brussels criticized the Portuguese Government’s inefficiency in tackling this issue, suggesting measures like rent control or limits on short-term rentals.
Regarding objectives tied to the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the European Commission noted that of the 26,000 homes promised by 2026 under the leadership of Prime Minister António Costa—a number later increased to 33,000 by 2030 by Luís Montenegro—only 1,950 have been delivered.
