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Housing crisis in the EU requires a coordinated approach

by AI | 25.Apr 2025 | Europe in brief AI

At the conference in Zagreb on the housing crisis in the European Union, it was emphasized that apartments should not be a source of profit, but should serve for housing. There are enough apartments, but they are not functioning as housing.

Zagreb, 25.04.2025. - Panel discussion "Towards Affordable Housing in the European Union and Croatia" which addressed various models of affordable and sustainable housing, the European plan for the use of public funds, and the perspective of youth. photo HINA/ Edvard ŠUŠAK

ZAGREB- Addressing the housing crisis in the EU requires coordinated policies and the utilization of existing resources, participants of the panel “Towards More Affordable Housing in the European Union and Croatia” stated on Friday, warning that there are enough apartments, but many are not in use.

Member of the European Parliament Nikolina Brnjac (HDZ, EPP) warned that as many as ten percent of EU citizens spend more than 40 percent of their income on housing, which means that it is no longer affordable for them.

“This is a huge challenge, especially for young people and families with lower incomes,” she said at the panel discussion organized by the Office of the European Parliament in Croatia. She emphasized that revising legislation and utilizing European funds that have not yet been directed towards affordable housing construction is necessary.

Gordan Bosanac (Možemo, Greens/EFA) pointed out that in many member states there are numerous housing units that are not being used because real estate has become a means of profit rather than housing.

“These apartments need to be freed up through national tax policies and simultaneously invest in the construction of public housing units. We need city funds or a national housing fund, and European money is crucial in this regard,” he said, adding that only repurposing is expected by 2027 as there are currently no new funds available.

MEP Marko Vešligaj (SDP, S&D), who joined via video link from Brussels, stated that at least 50 billion euros annually from the European budget should be directed towards housing policies.

In the context of growing housing insecurity in Europe, the European Parliament has established a Special Committee on the Housing Crisis for the first time, aimed at analyzing existing policies, the impact of speculative practices, and providing recommendations for more affordable housing in the EU.

Croatia, with an average age of 31.8 years for leaving the parental home, leads the Union in the late independence of young people – another indicator of the severity of the housing crisis. (April 25, 2025)