Costa points to affordable housing as an urgent challenge

Porto – The President of the European Council, António Costa, stated today that affordable housing is one of the “most urgent” challenges in the Member States and a cross-cutting concern in all European societies.
“Affordable housing has become one of the most urgent challenges in the Member States and is absolutely essential for ensuring social cohesion and the sustainability of democracies in Europe,” said António Costa at the Porto 2025 Social Forum.
Costa considered that nothing fuels populism more than the feeling of abandonment and the lack of future perspective that new generations encounter, especially when they seek their first home to build their lives.
In his opinion, housing is now a cross-cutting concern in all European societies, and there is no European government that does not have housing at the forefront of its concerns.
“The Portuguese government is, in fact, a good example,” noted Costa, who had the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, by his side.
Due to this concern, António Costa revealed that at the next formal meeting of the European Council, which will take place in October, there will be a debate dedicated to affordable housing.
The European Commission already has a commissioner responsible for housing, he reminded.
The Porto 2025 Social Forum, which began on Thursday and ends today, has as its central theme “Quality Jobs in a Competitive Social Europe” and is organized by the Portuguese Government with the support of the European Commission. (19/09/25)