The European Commission announced the launch of the first pan-European housing alliance, seeking to shape a common front against the housing crisis affecting millions of citizens across Europe.
The new initiative, under the name European Housing Alliance, was presented in the context of the Informal Meeting of Housing Ministers in Nicosia, with the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, issuing an open invitation to member states, regions, municipalities, social stakeholders and market representatives to join a common cooperation platform to address the housing problem. He stressed that Europe needs a new housing policy that puts “people above profit,” underlining that housing cannot be treated exclusively as a commercial product.
A common platform for housing solutions
According to the Commission, the European Housing Alliance will operate as a central cooperation mechanism between national, regional and local authorities, as well as social and economic stakeholders, such as youth organizations, tenants’ associations and representatives of property owners.
The main goal is the exchange of know-how, the promotion of best practices, and the strengthening of cooperation for the implementation of the European Affordable Housing Plan that the Commission has already presented. The Commissioner stated: “At a time when the housing crisis is affecting communities across Europe, cooperation is more important than ever. The launch of the European Housing Alliance marks a critical step in building a common response to this fundamental challenge.”
Dan Jørgensen also noted that the alliance aims to turn collective experience and knowledge into “real action,” in order to ensure access to affordable and sustainable housing for all European citizens.
The core principles of the Alliance
The core principles of the AllianceThe European Housing Alliance will be based on four main pillars:
a) respect for the principle of subsidiarity and multi-level governance,
b) open and inclusive participation,
c) flexible and adaptive operation,
d) linking policy strategy with practical implementation and the experience of the market and local communities.
The Commission estimates that the new scheme can act as a coordination channel between European institutions and local authorities, at a time when rising rents, the high cost of buying housing and the limited availability of affordable properties are intensifying social pressures in many European cities.
A new investment platform without additional European funding
At the same time, the Commission is moving forward with the creation of the Pan-European Investment Platform for Housing, which will seek better coordination of existing European, national and local financing tools. The initiative does not provide for new funds from the EU, but aims at more effective use of available resources, through blended finance, better project design and mobilization of large-scale investments.
The housing crisis has now emerged as one of the most important social issues in Europe, with the European Commission seeking for the first time to shape a more coordinated policy approach at Union level.
