Euroviews. EU must work with cities to solve the housing crisis

To build a strong house, you need solid foundations, and the same goes for addressing Europe’s housing crisis. If the new European Commission truly wants to deliver affordable, sustainable homes for everyone, it needs to start by working closely with its housing partners on the ground, including its cities.

With her new mandate, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has finally acknowledged the scale of the housing problem. She has made housing a top priority, appointing Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen as the first-ever European Commissioner for Housing and launching the European Affordable Housing Plan to boost investment across the continent.

For the mayors of Europe’s cities, this lays a solid cornerstone. We have long sounded the alarm as rising prices push people and communities into vulnerable situations, and essential workers, single mothers and young people further from affordable homes.

But if this new EU initiative is to pave the way for real change, the president and her team must partner with cities, their closest allies.

Cities have developed a rich diversity of social, public and affordable housing solutions embedded in our urban development plans. By working together, we can build a solid foundation for a Europe where everyone has access to decent housing.

Let’s face it, the housing crisis is most acute in urban areas, where demand for affordable homes far outpaces supply. It is no longer just a crisis for the most vulnerable. Low and middle-income families are also being priced out of the cities they serve.

The numbers speak for themselves. By the end of last year, average EU rents were nearly 25% higher than in 2010, while house prices surged by almost 50%. According to Eurostat, tens of millions of