From EUobserver · · 1m 20s
Europe's Affordable Housing Act Needs Broader Focus
The EU's housing act must address vacant buildings and energy poverty to create affordable homes.
In brief
The EU's housing act must address vacant buildings and energy poverty to create affordable homes. The EU's Affordable Housing Act should prioritize reusing existing buildings and supporting vulnerable households to tackle housing unaffordability. Originally reported by EUobserver.
New EU Housing Plan
The EU appointed a dedicated Commissioner for Energy and Housing and launched the European Affordable Housing Plan to address Europe’s housing crisis.
Short-Term Rentals Focus
The proposed Affordable Housing Act focuses on restricting short-term rentals in areas under housing stress, but this alone cannot solve Europe’s housing crisis.
Housing Stress Definition
Defining housing stress requires considering energy poverty, overcrowding, and housing stock conditions, not just property prices and income levels.
Vacant Buildings Resource
Over 47 million dwellings across the EU are unoccupied, highlighting a significant resource that could create affordable homes without new construction.
Vacancy Data Gap
Public authorities lack reliable information about vacant homes, their condition, and potential for conversion into affordable housing.
Policy Framework Needed
The EU should integrate vacancy identification and mapping into the Affordable Housing Act to support public authorities in identifying and converting vacant buildings.
People-Centered Outcome
The act must prioritize vulnerable households, as one in five Europeans, nearly 93 million people, face poverty or homelessness.
The essence
The EU's Affordable Housing Act should prioritize reusing existing buildings and supporting vulnerable households to tackle housing unaffordability.
